Texas Property Tax Cap Calculator
Will your Texas property taxes go up next year? If you have a homestead exemption, the 10% appraisal cap limits how fast your taxable value can rise. Enter last year's assessed value and this year's market value for Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, or Travis County to project your capped value, your estimated bill, and how much the cap saves you.
Project Your Capped Value and Tax
This is the "appraised value" the county used for taxes last year (not necessarily last year's market value, if you were already capped). Leave blank if this is your first year with the homestead.
Projected Result
this year's capped assessed value
| Taxing unit | Rate /$100 | Est. tax |
|---|---|---|
| Total on capped value |
Estimate only. The homestead ($140,000) and over-65 ($60,000) exemptions are applied to the school-district portion, as on the county pages. It does not include local city/county homestead percentage exemptions, the value of new construction or improvements (which are added on top of the cap), tax-ceiling freezes, or special assessments. Verify with your county appraisal district and tax office.
How the 10% Homestead Appraisal Cap Works
Texas has no state property tax cap on rates, but it does cap how fast the taxable value of a homesteaded property can grow. Under Texas Tax Code Section 23.23, once you have a residence homestead exemption, the appraised value used to calculate your taxes cannot increase more than 10% per year, regardless of how much the market value rose. The taxable appraised value is the lesser of:
- this year's market value, or
- last year's appraised value × 1.10, plus the value of any new improvements.
When a hot market pushes your appraisal up 20% or 30% in a year, the cap holds your taxable value to a 10% rise, and the gap between market value and your capped value ("HS cap loss" on your notice) is not taxed that year. This calculator projects that capped value and the resulting bill.
The cap is not a rate cut. It limits the base your rate is applied to. If your market value rose 10% or less, the cap has no effect that year. And the cap resets when a home is sold: a new owner's first-year value is the full market value, then the cap starts the following year.
What this projection does not include
- New construction, additions, or improvements, which are added to the capped value.
- Local city and county homestead percentage exemptions (these vary by county; several of these counties grant local homestead percentages that would lower the bill further).
- The over-65 school tax ceiling (freeze), which can hold your school taxes flat. See the Texas over-65 property tax calculator.
- Protest outcomes. If you think your market value is too high, see the Texas property tax protest calculator.
Official Sources
- Texas Tax Code § 23.23 - Limitation on appraised value of residence homestead (10% cap) statutes.capitol.texas.gov - Tax Code Ch. 23
- Texas Comptroller - Property Tax Exemptions and the Homestead Cap comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax
- Taxing-unit rates: each county's current adopted rates Harris County, Dallas County, Tarrant County
Rates used in this calculator mirror the CountyTaxTools data layer for each county's current adopted taxing-unit rates. Tax rates and appraisal caps change; verify with your county appraisal district and tax assessor-collector before making financial decisions. This tool provides estimates only and is not tax advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 10% homestead appraisal cap in Texas?
For a property with a residence homestead exemption, Texas Tax Code Section 23.23 limits how much the appraised (assessed) value used for your taxes can rise each year to 10%, no matter how much the market value increased. Your taxable appraised value cannot exceed the lesser of the market value or last year's appraised value plus 10%, plus the value of any new improvements. The cap applies only to homesteaded properties; rentals and second homes have no cap.
How do I project next year's Texas property tax?
Multiply last year's appraised (taxable) value by 1.10 to get your capped value, then compare it to this year's market value from your Notice of Appraised Value. Your capped assessed value is the lower of the two. Subtract the homestead exemption from the school portion, then apply each taxing unit's rate. This calculator does all of that for Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, Collin, and Denton County automatically.
Does the 10% cap lower my tax bill?
The cap does not lower your tax rate; it limits how fast your taxable value can grow. When your market value rises more than 10% in a year, the cap holds your taxable value below market, so your bill is lower than it would be without the cap. This calculator shows that difference as the estimated cap savings. If your market value rose 10% or less, the cap has no effect that year.
Which Texas counties does this calculator cover?
It covers ten major Texas counties: Harris (Greater Houston), Fort Bend, Montgomery, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, Williamson, Collin, and Denton, using each county's current adopted taxing-unit rates. More Texas counties are added as their rate data is verified. Estimates apply the homestead and over-65 exemptions to the school-district portion; local city and county homestead percentage exemptions vary and are not included.