Lower your tax bill: homestead and ag-timber exemptions

If the home you own in Cass County is your primary residence, you qualify for a homestead exemption. Texas law requires school districts to exempt $140,000 of your home's value. Other taxing units may add their own exemptions on top. You apply once using form 50-114 and file it with the Cass County Appraisal District. The general deadline is around May 1 each year, so check with the appraisal district for the current date.

Landowners who use acreage for farming, ranching, or timber production may qualify for ag or timber special appraisal. This means the land is taxed on its productivity value, which is often much lower than market value. To get this, you must have used the land that way for at least five of the last seven years. If you later sell or develop the land, you will owe a rollback tax going back three years. Apply using forms from the Texas Comptroller and file with the appraisal district.