Appraisal district can help file homestead exemption paperwork

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Property owners seeking to claim homestead exemptions are being reminded that the Scurry County Appraisal District will help with the process – and that it’s free.
Chief Appraiser Larry Crooks said several area residents have been contacted by companies such as Homestead Designation Services of Austin, offering to file the necessary paperwork, but for a fee. Such offers are legitimate but unnecessary, Crooks said.
“We’ll do it for free and walk you through the whole process,” Crooks said. “This kind of things has been going on for years and rears its head here every other year or so.”
John Stewart, who will become chief appraiser for Scurry County when Crooks retires in September, said the appraisal office routinely mails out homestead exemption applications to new property owners.
Crooks stressed that the outside offers were legal and not a scam of any kind.
“But the point is, you don’t have to pay any money to file for a homestead exemption,” he said. “Come down to our office and we’ll do it for you for free. We’ll help you fill out the forms and everything.”
Homeowners wishing to file for a homestead exemption need to bring an official Texas identification card or driver’s license that contains the property’s physical address, he added.
A homestead exemption on property allows owners to exempt part of the total value of their property from taxation. That exemption depends on the amount various taxing entities allow. 
A general homestead exemption is $25,000, with $10,000 more for property owners over 65.
The Scurry County Appraisal District office is located at 2612 College Ave.