What Travis County Property Tax Bills Actually Say and What You Can Still Do About Them
First-time Austin homeowners and 2025 buyers have roughly 90 days to read, reduce, and pay this bill. Here's the local guide that didn't exist until now.
First-time Austin homeowners and 2025 buyers have roughly 90 days to read, reduce, and pay this bill. Here’s the local guide that didn’t exist until now.
The envelope arrives in October. It’s thicker than you expect, printed in that particular government font, and the total at the bottom is larger than your monthly mortgage payment. For a median-priced Austin home, a Travis County property tax bill runs $10,000 to $14,000. Buy in 2025 and it may be higher still, for reasons buried in the fine print of Texas tax law.
This piece is for the person holding that bill right now. Not someone thinking about protesting next spring. Not someone still shopping. You, today, with a confusing document on the kitchen table and about 90 days before serious penalties begin.
You need to do three things: read the bill, figure out if you can reduce it, and decide how to pay it. Each involves a different office, a different deadline, and different consequences for getting it wrong.
Section 1. Every Line on Your Bill and What It Actually Funds
Your bill comes from the Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd, but the numbers on it were set by an entirely separate agency — the Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD), at 850 E. Anderson Lane. Two offices. Two phone numbers. Two distinct functions.
The Tax Office can tell you what you owe and take your payment. It cannot change your assessed value or exemption status. Only TCAD can do that. Keep that separation in mind. It’ll save you at least one frustrating phone call.
Your bill isn’t a single charge. It’s a stack of charges from every taxing entity with jurisdiction over your property. For a typical City of Austin homestead inside Travis County, you’ll see some combination of the following:
Travis County funds county government: courts, county jail, public health, the medical examiner, county roads, county parks. Confirm the current rate directly with the Travis County Tax Office rather than relying on any figure in circulation.
City of Austin funds municipal services — Austin Energy, Austin Water, fire and EMS, parks, the library system, city infrastructure. Homeowners in Cedar Park, Pflugerville, or Manor will see their respective city’s rate instead. Unincorporated Travis County residents may see no city line at all.
Austin Independent School District (AISD) is typically the single largest line on the bill. State law requires school districts to be funded substantially through local property taxes, and AISD’s rate reflects that reality. It’s usually the number that makes people put down their coffee.
Austin Community College (ACC) maintains its own taxing authority across most of Travis County. Smaller than AISD’s rate, but a real charge.
Central Health — formally the Central Health Metropolitan Health District — funds healthcare for uninsured and underinsured Travis County residents, including CommUnityCare clinics across the county.
Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) may appear as a line item. Verify against your current bill with the Tax Office.
Emergency Services Districts and Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) show up on bills for properties in certain areas, particularly outer Austin, unincorporated Travis County, and newer subdivisions. A MUD funds water, wastewater, and sometimes roads or parks built by the developer. ESDs fund local fire and EMS. See an unfamiliar entity name? Call TCAD. The Tax Office can confirm the entity exists; TCAD’s records will tell you what district you’re in and what it funds.
One more thing: if your lender escrows your property taxes, compare the bill total against what your lender estimated at closing. Escrow estimates are often wrong in the first year — sometimes significantly wrong. The bill is the authoritative number.
Section 2. Appraised Value, Assessed Value, and Why Your Neighbor’s Bill Is Lower Than Yours
Look at the column labeled “appraised value” and the one labeled “assessed value” or “taxable value.” For many homeowners, those numbers are the same. For homeowners who’ve lived in their house for several years, they may be dramatically different. For 2025 buyers, understanding why is essential — and honestly a little maddening once it clicks.
Texas Tax Code §23.23 limits how much TCAD can increase the taxable assessed value of a qualified homestead in any single year. The cap is 10 percent above the prior year’s assessed value, regardless of what the market does. It applies only to homestead-designated properties, and only after the first January 1 the owner has held the property with a homestead exemption in place.
Here’s what that means in practice. Your neighbor bought the same floor plan in 2015 when market value was $350,000. TCAD’s current market appraisal on that house might be $650,000. Because the 10 percent cap has been compounding for nearly a decade, the neighbor’s taxable value may be significantly lower — possibly in the $500,000 to $550,000 range, depending on how values moved year to year. Your neighbor pays taxes on $500,000. You bought the same house in 2025 for $650,000, and in year one, you pay taxes on the full market value TCAD assigned. The cap resets at sale. You don’t inherit your seller’s capped value.
This is the most common reason new Austin buyers are blindsided by their first bill. It’s not an error. It’s the structural design of the Texas homestead cap, and it disadvantages new buyers relative to long-term residents by design — whether that was the intention or just a side effect of how the law was written, the legislature shows little urgency to fix it. What matters practically: filing the homestead exemption as early as possible, and understanding the late-filing option in the next section, can meaningfully affect what you owe. If TCAD’s market appraisal still looks wrong after you’ve reviewed your bill, how to protest your Travis County property tax appraisal is a separate process with its own spring deadlines worth understanding now.
Section 3. The Penalty Clock and What February 1 Actually Costs You
Your bill is due January 31. On February 1, the meter starts.
Under Texas Tax Code §33.01, a 6 percent penalty plus 1 percent interest is added immediately on February 1 — effectively 7 percent on the outstanding balance. Each subsequent month, another 2 percent accrues (1% penalty, 1% interest).
Run the math on a $12,000 bill:
| Date | Penalty Added | Running Charges | Total Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 31 | 0% | $0 | $12,000 |
| February 1 | 7% | $840 | $12,840 |
| March 1 | +2% | $1,080 | $13,080 |
| April 1 | +2% | $1,320 | $13,320 |
| May 1 | +2% | $1,560 | $13,560 |
These figures are calculated on the base amount. Verify the compounding method with the Travis County Tax Office — interest may accrue on the accumulating balance rather than the flat original amount, and Travis County may apply locally authorized penalties beyond the statutory baseline.
The June 1 cliff is the date most people don’t know about until it’s too late. Accounts that remain unpaid past the threshold the Tax Office determines — typically around June 1 — get referred to Travis County’s contracted collection law firm: Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, one of the largest delinquent tax collection operations in Texas.
At referral, an attorney collection fee of 15 to 20 percent is added to the total balance by law, on top of everything already accumulated. On a $12,000 original bill with five months of penalties and a 15 percent collection fee, total liability runs well above $15,500. That fee is not negotiable. It is not waived when you pay.
If you cannot pay in full by January 31, contact the Travis County Tax Office before that date — or before June 1 at the absolute latest — to discuss payment plan options. After June 1, the negotiation shifts to Linebarger’s office. The fees are already added. Your options narrow considerably. For Austin homeowners who want a broader look at how penalty timelines and appraisal disputes intersect, our legal and finance coverage addresses both sides of the property tax equation.
Section 4. You Missed the April 30 Homestead Exemption Deadline. It May Not Be Too Late.
If you bought your Austin home in 2025 and didn’t file a homestead exemption application with TCAD by April 30, 2025, you may have assumed you lost the exemption for this tax year. That assumption is wrong — and it’s an expensive one if it keeps you from filing now.
Texas Tax Code §11.431 explicitly allows late homestead exemption applications to be filed up to one year after the date taxes become delinquent for the year in question. For 2025 taxes — due January 31, 2026, with delinquency beginning February 1, 2026 — a late application can be filed with TCAD through January 31, 2027. Call TCAD directly to confirm eligibility for your specific situation.
If you bought in 2024 and didn’t file in time for that tax year, you may also be able to file retroactively. That could generate a corrected bill or a refund from the Tax Office. Confirm the exact scope of retroactive filing with TCAD directly.
In Texas, the standard homestead exemption removes $100,000 from your home’s taxable value for school district purposes — a figure enacted in 2023. That reduction applies directly to AISD’s portion of your bill, which is typically your largest single line item. Verify current exemption amounts and applicable rates with TCAD, since rates change annually. The Tax Office can provide a rate sheet for the current year. Call TCAD for an estimate specific to your property; the savings are significant enough that filing late is worth doing today rather than waiting.
If TCAD approves your late application, the exemption can be applied retroactively to the year in question, generating a corrected bill or a refund if you’ve already overpaid. This isn’t guaranteed — TCAD processes late filings individually — but it’s explicitly authorized by statute, and most buyers who are eligible and file do get it.
Texas law authorizes a modest late-filing fee. Confirm the current amount with TCAD before filing.
To apply, go to TCAD at 850 E. Anderson Lane or contact them directly. Ask specifically about a late homestead exemption application under §11.431 for the applicable tax year. Bring your closing documents showing the purchase date.
And again, because it bears repeating: the Travis County Tax Office handles payment. TCAD handles exemptions. Don’t call one looking for help only the other can give.
Section 5. Payment Plans — What They Actually Cost Versus Paying Late
If you can’t pay the full bill by January 31, you have two distinct paths. Which one you qualify for depends on who you are.
Any taxpayer with a delinquent account — past February 1 — may request a payment plan with the Travis County Tax Office under Texas Tax Code §33.02. The structure requires paying delinquent taxes in installments under a written agreement. Penalties and interest that have already attached don’t disappear. Interest keeps accruing on the unpaid balance during the plan. Confirm the current delinquent interest rate directly with the Tax Office before signing anything; that rate affects your total repayment cost substantially.
A §33.02 plan doesn’t freeze the penalties already attached. If your $12,000 bill went delinquent February 1 with $840 in penalty and interest already added, your plan balance starts at $12,840 or higher, and interest runs on that until it’s paid off.
Contact the Tax Office before June 1. After the Linebarger referral, the 15–20 percent attorney fee is already baked in and you’re negotiating with outside counsel.
A separate and considerably better program exists for homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or disabled veterans with a homestead exemption in place. Under Texas Tax Code §31.031, these homeowners can pay current-year taxes in four installments without triggering delinquent penalties — as long as the first installment is made by January 31 and subsequent installments follow by April 1, June 1, and August 1. This applies to current-year taxes before they go delinquent. That’s a fundamentally different situation than the post-delinquency plan, and a much more favorable one.
If you qualify, call the Tax Office before January 31. Not February 1. Not after you’ve seen what the penalties look like. Before.
Section 6. The Over-65 Deferral and What the County Won’t Volunteer
If you’re 65 or older — or disabled under the Texas definition — and your home is your qualified homestead, you have an option that most people in this situation don’t find out about until a title company mentions it at closing. Sometimes not even then.
Texas Tax Code §33.06 allows eligible homeowners to defer payment of property taxes on their homestead indefinitely. Not a payment plan. Not installments. An actual deferral — you don’t pay while you live there, and the county doesn’t foreclose.
The cost is 5 percent simple annual interest on the deferred balance. No compounding.
Compare that to the delinquent rate on a standard overdue account, or the 15–20 percent attorney fee that hits post-June 1. Five percent simple interest is genuinely better. But it’s not free money, and it’s not forgiveness.
If your annual bill is $10,000 and you defer for ten years, you’ve deferred $100,000 in principal. At 5 percent simple interest per year, accruing on each year’s deferred taxes across the full deferral period, the total liability after ten years — principal plus accumulated interest — runs roughly $125,000, depending on the specific calculation method. That balance comes due when you sell, transfer title, or die. It’s a lien on the property, not a forgiven debt, and it reduces the net equity your estate or heirs receive.
When a qualifying homeowner dies, the deferred balance doesn’t immediately become due. Heirs have a 180-day window before the deferral protection expires and collection enforcement can begin. If the deceased owner’s spouse is 55 or older, the surviving spouse may continue the deferral in their own name — but they need to file the paperwork. It doesn’t transfer automatically.
Worth knowing: you can simultaneously file a late homestead exemption with TCAD and a deferral application with the Tax Office. These are independent processes. TCAD doesn’t need to know you’re deferring. The Tax Office doesn’t adjudicate your exemption. Pursue both at the same time.
To apply for a deferral, contact the Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd and ask for the deferral application under §33.06. You’ll need to document your age or disability status. Apply before your account goes delinquent if possible, though the statute allows filing afterward as well.
Sidebar A. Who to Call for What
Calling the wrong office wastes time and can create the false impression that a problem has been handled — a costly mistake if January 31 is two weeks away.
Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD)
Handles assessed values, appraisal protests, homestead exemption applications (including late filings), over-65 and disabled exemptions, agricultural exemptions, and any question about why your value is what it is.
Address: 850 E. Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78752 Website: tcad.org Phone: Verify the current number at tcad.org before calling
Travis County Tax Office
Handles bill payment, payment plans, delinquent installment agreements, deferral applications, refunds on overpaid taxes, and motor vehicle registration.
Main office: 5501 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751 Satellite offices: Round Rock, Pflugerville, and Bee Cave locations exist for Travis County residents outside central Austin. Confirm current addresses and hours directly with the Tax Office before driving out — satellite hours have shifted post-COVID and don’t always match what’s posted online. Online payment: Get the current portal URL directly from the Tax Office before attempting online payment. Portal addresses have changed. Phone: Same advice — verify directly. Numbers circulating in older online listings are not reliable.
Walk-in hours at the main Airport Blvd office are generally Monday through Friday. Around January 31, the lines get long. Confirm hours before you go.
Sidebar B. The 10% Cap and the New-Buyer Reality
When you purchased your property, the homestead cap that protected the previous owner’s assessed value reset to zero. TCAD will assess your property at or near what you paid for it, or at their independent market appraisal of its value. That’s what your first bill is based on. You pay on full market value in year one. There’s no workaround, and nothing to dispute — that’s how it works.
After the first January 1 you own the property with an exemption in place, the cap kicks in. Buy in March 2025, file your homestead exemption before April 30, 2025, and as of January 1, 2026, TCAD can increase your taxable value by no more than 10 percent per year from 2025’s assessed value — regardless of what the market does. Miss the April 30 deadline, and filing the late exemption now is the mechanism that gets the cap protection started.
The cap matters beyond this year’s bill. It controls your long-term tax costs in a rising market. The difference between capped and uncapped assessed value accumulates over years and translates directly into cumulative tax costs. Over a decade in Austin’s market, that gap can reach tens of thousands of dollars.
File the exemption. File it now.
Editor’s note: All figures in this article — including tax rates, phone numbers, the online payment portal URL, late-filing fee amounts, penalty compounding methodology, and delinquent installment interest rates — must be verified directly with the Travis County Tax Office and TCAD before publication. Contact both offices to request a 2025 sample tax bill for entity and rate confirmation. This article reflects the statutory framework as written in the Texas Tax Code; local application of that framework should be confirmed with the relevant offices.
