2-SYDNEY:DO'T LEAVE MONEY
ON THE TABLE!THE TRAVIS
CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT
WANTS HOMEOWNERS TO KNOW HOW
TO SAVE MONEY. T-CAD IS
HOLDING A TOWN HALL TOMORROW
ABOUT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
2-ALEX:THE CHIEF APPRAISER
SAYS IF YOU QUALIFY...
DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXEMPTIONS
CAN *LOWER* YOUR PROPERTY
TAX BILL BY HUNDREDS OF
DOLLARS. KXA'S -- YOOJIN CHO
-- ASKED THE CHIEF APPRAISER
SOME KEY QUESTIONS.
YOOJIN CHO:"MARYA, SO FIRST,
WHO QUALIFIES FOR THESE
EXEMPTIONS?"MARYA CRIGLER,
CHIEF APPRAISER: "SO ALL
PROPERTY OWNERS CAN QUALIFY
FOR AN EXEMPTION, PARTICULARLY
GENERAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IF
THE PROPERTY IS THEIR
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE.
IT MEANS THAT THE PROPERTY
THEY LIVE IN. IT DOES'T
APPLY TO VACATION HOMES OR
RENTAL HOMES, BUT I'S FOR
THE HOME THAT THEY ACTUALLY
LIVE IN. THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR
THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD
EXEMPTION. THEY JUST HAVE TO
BE THE OWNER, HAVE TO OCCUPY
IT AS OF JAN. 1ST AND THEY
HAVE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT."
YOOJIN CHO:"AND THERE ARE
OTHER TYPES OF EXEMPTIONS AS
WELL."MARYA CRIGLER, CHIEF
APPRAISER: "YES, IN ADDITION
TO THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD
EXEMPTION, SOME PROPERTY
OWNERS COULD QUALIFY FOR AN
OVER 65 EXEMPTION, IF YO'RE
AGE OVER 65. THER'S A
DISABLED PERSONS EXEMPTION.
THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS FOR
DISABLED VETERANS. EXEMPTIONS
FOR THE SURVIVING SPOUSES FOR
FIRST RESPONDERS, SO THERE ARE
OTHER TYPES OF EXMPTIONS THAT
PROPERTY OWNERS CAN QUALIFY
FOR IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION."YOOJIN
CHO:"DO MOST HOMEOWNERS IN
TRAVIS COUNTY KNOW THAT THESE
EXEMPTIONS EXISTS? AND THAT
THEY CAN ADVANTAGE OF THESE
EXEMPTIONS IF THEY QUALIFY?"
MARYA CRIGLER, CHIEF
APPRAISER: "I THINK MOST
PROPERTY OWNERS DO KNOW, BUT
THER'S A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER
OF PROPERTY OWNERS THAT
ARE'T AWARE OF IT, OR
HAVE'T CLAIMED THEIR
EXEMPTION. SO EVERY YEAR WE
MAIL OUT AN APPLICATION TO
PROPERTY OWNERS IF THEIR
ADDRESS AND MAILING ADDRESS
MATCH, AND WE AVERAGE ABOUT
15,000-20,000 THAT WE MAIL OUT
EVERY YEAR. SO THOSE ARE
POTENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS THAT
ARE'T CLAIMING EXEMPTION
THAT THEY COULD BE ENTITLED
TO." YOOJIN CHO:"CAN YOU GIVE
US AN EXAMPLE OF A HOMEOWNER
WHO DOES NOT HAVE AN
EXEMPTION. HOW MUCH THEY PAY
IN TAXES? AND HOW MUCH MONEY
THEY COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE IF
THEY CLAIMED ONE OF THESE
EXEMPTIONS... WELL, ONE OR
MORE."MARYA CRIGLER, CHIEF
APPRAISER: "YEAH, SO I'S
REALLY SUBSTANTIAL PROPERTY
TAX SAVINGS FOR PROPERTY
OWNERS IF THEY CLAIM THEIR
GENERAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
FOR A MEDIAN PRICED HOME IN
TRAVIS COUNTY, $350,000, IT
WOULD EQUATE TO TAX SAVINGS
ABOUT $750 OFF THEIR TAXES.
THA'S JUST FOR THE GENERAL
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. IF THEY
LAYER ON TOP OF THAT, IF THEY
QUALIFY FOR AN OVER 65
EXEMPTION, THEIR TAX SAVINGS
CAN GO UP TO $2,000. SO I'S
A LOT OF MONEY TO LEAVE ON THE
TABLE. TO QUALIFY FOR IT,
I'S REALLY EASY. JUST SUBMIT
YOUR APPLICATION TO THE
APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND PROVIDE
THE DOCUMENTATION THA'S
REQUIRED. AND W'LL AUTHORIZE
AND GRANT AN EXEMPTION FOR
YOU." YOOJIN CHO:"SO YO'RE
DOING THIS INFORMATION SESSION
TOMORROW. IF PEOPLE CANNOT
ATTEND TOMORROW, HOW ELSE CAN
THEY LEARN ABOUT THESE
EXEMPTIONS AND LEARN WHETHER
THEY QUALIFY OR NOT?"MARYA
CRIGLER, CHIEF APPRAISER: "WE
HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ON
OUR WEBSITE WWW.TRAVISCAD.ORG
AND WE GOT INFORMATION
SPECIFICALLY FOR EXEMPTIONS.
OUR APPLICATIONS ARE ON OUR
WEBSITE. PROPERTY OWNERS CAN
CALL INTO OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE
LINE OR THEY CAN COME IN AND
TALK TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE
REPRESENTATIVE AND LEARN ABOUT
WHAT EXEMPTIONS THEY MIGHT
QUALIFY FOR AND HOW TO APPLY."
YOOJIN CHO:"GOTCHA. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION."
