Voters OK property tax breaks for Texas homeowners, businesses

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

54% : Meanwhile, the state is paying for the bigger inventory tax exemption for school districts.
54% : Texas homeowners and businesses are poised for bigger tax breaks.
54% : Meanwhile, the state is paying for the bigger inventory tax exemption for school districts.
52% : Voters OK property tax breaks for Texas homeowners, businesses Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune November 4, 2025 Texas homeowners and businesses are poised for bigger tax breaks.
51% : "There is an absolute recognition of the need to provide property tax cuts for homeowners and business owners, but specifically that the public embraces the idea that increasing homestead exemptions is a way to keep people in their homes and to lower their property tax bills," said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who pushed the tax-cut measures.
51% : Under the homestead exemption amendment, the owner of a typical Texas home -- valued at $302,000 last year, according to Zillow -- would have saved about $490 on their school property taxes had the higher exemption been in effect last year, a Tribune calculation shows.
51% : "There is an absolute recognition of the need to provide property tax cuts for homeowners and business owners, but specifically that the public embraces the idea that increasing homestead exemptions is a way to keep people in their homes and to lower their property tax bills," said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who pushed the tax-cut measures.
51% : Under the homestead exemption amendment, the owner of a typical Texas home -- valued at $302,000 last year, according to Zillow -- would have saved about $490 on their school property taxes had the higher exemption been in effect last year, a Tribune calculation shows.
49% : Voters are on track Tuesday night to approve a constitutional amendment to raise the state's homestead exemption, meaning the amount of a home's value that can't be taxed to pay for public schools, from $100,000 to $140,000 -- shaving hundreds of dollars off of the biggest chunk of the typical homeowner's property tax bill.
49% : Voters are on track Tuesday night to approve a constitutional amendment to raise the state's homestead exemption, meaning the amount of a home's value that can't be taxed to pay for public schools, from $100,000 to $140,000 -- shaving hundreds of dollars off of the biggest chunk of the typical homeowner's property tax bill.
45% : Businesses, too, are poised to get a break on their property taxes.
45% : Because the tax breaks would be embedded in the state's constitution, lawmakers would have to trim other parts of the state budget should coffers come up short -- including other tax cuts that aren't guaranteed by the Constitution.
45% : Businesses, too, are poised to get a break on their property taxes.
45% : Because the tax breaks would be embedded in the state's constitution, lawmakers would have to trim other parts of the state budget should coffers come up short -- including other tax cuts that aren't guaranteed by the Constitution.
40% : State lawmakers have spent heavily in their efforts to drive down Texans' property taxes, among the highest in the nation.
40% : State lawmakers have spent heavily in their efforts to drive down Texans' property taxes, among the highest in the nation.
38% : Texas will spend $51 billion over the next two years on property tax cuts, including on the higher homestead exemption -- a lofty number that some state budget watchers and tax-cut skeptics warn Texas won't be able to afford should the state's economy experience a significant slowdown.
38% : Texas will spend $51 billion over the next two years on property tax cuts, including on the higher homestead exemption -- a lofty number that some state budget watchers and tax-cut skeptics warn Texas won't be able to afford should the state's economy experience a significant slowdown.
35% : But cities, counties and other jurisdictions that tax businesses' inventory will either have to adopt a higher tax rate than they otherwise would have or trim their budget to make up for lost revenue.
35% : But cities, counties and other jurisdictions that tax businesses' inventory will either have to adopt a higher tax rate than they otherwise would have or trim their budget to make up for lost revenue.

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