Are you a disabled veteran or survivor? You may qualify for a property tax exemption if you are either (1) a veteran who was disabled while serving with the U.S. armed forces or (2) the surviving spouse or child (under 18 years of age and unmarried) of a disabled veteran or of a member of the armed forces who was killed while on active duty. You must be a Texas resident.

To establish eligibility, you must have documents from either the Veterans Administration or a branch of the armed forces that shows the percentage of your service-related disability. Your disability rating must be at least 10 percent.

If you are a surviving spouse or child, you must have the veteran’s disability records. You may need other documents such as proof of marriage or age.

Effective with the 1996 tax year, the exemption ranges from $5,000 to $12,000, depending on the extent of the disability. This exemption is not only for a home - you can apply it to any property you own on January 1, such as a tract you own and use for business purposes. However, you may pick only one property to receive this exemption. The appropriate exemption will be deducted from the appraised value of the property to which you want the exemption applied.

The disabled veterans’ exemption is different from a disabled homeowners exemption, and disabled veterans do not necessarily qualify for the latter type exemption.

This chart outlines disabled veterans’ exemptions effective January 1, 1998: