The City of Garland’s property tax rate is $0.689746 per $100 of taxable value, so a home appraised at $300,000 generates roughly $2,069 in city taxes before any exemptions.1City of Garland. Tax Rates That is only the city’s slice. Your full statement also carries separate charges from Dallas County, your school district, and any other local taxing units, each applying its own rate to the same taxable value. What you actually owe depends on the value the appraisal district puts on your home, the exemptions you claim, and whether you pay on time.
How Your Garland Tax Bill Is Calculated
The math is straightforward once you know the four steps:
- Start with your appraised value from the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Say $350,000.
- Subtract every exemption you qualify for. An 8% general homestead exemption on $350,000 removes $28,000, leaving $322,000 in taxable value.
- Divide the taxable value by 100. That gives $3,220.
- Multiply by the tax rate. $3,220 × $0.689746 works out to about $2,220.98 owed to the city.
Repeat the same calculation with Dallas County’s rate, your school district’s rate, and any other overlapping entity to see your full property tax picture. Exemptions do not always apply across every entity at the same amount, which is why the school district portion of your bill behaves a little differently from the city portion.
Who Appraises Your Property and Who Collects the Tax
Two different offices handle Garland property taxes, and mixing them up is one of the easiest ways to miss a deadline. The Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) sets your property’s value.2Dallas Central Appraisal District. Dallas Central Appraisal District Texas law requires each county to run an appraisal district that values property for every local taxing unit.3State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 6.01 – Appraisal Districts Established DCAD does not set tax rates and does not collect payments.
The Dallas County Tax Office sends the bill and takes the money.4Dallas County. Tax Office – Property Tax Lookup/Payment Application If you think your home’s appraised value is wrong, you deal with DCAD. If you need to pay your bill, set up a partial payment, or ask about delinquency, you contact the county tax office.
Exemptions That Lower Your Taxable Value
If you own and live in your home as your primary residence, you qualify for a homestead exemption that reduces the value used in the calculation above. The home must be your residence on January 1 of the tax year, and you cannot claim a homestead exemption on any other property in Texas or elsewhere.5Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions Apply through DCAD using the Residence Homestead Exemption Application form from your account’s detail page.6Dallas Central Appraisal District. DCAD – Find Property By Street Address
General Homestead Exemption
Garland provides an 8% reduction in appraised value as its local homestead exemption.7City of Garland. Frequently Asked Questions Texas law lets cities adopt a local exemption of up to 20%, with a $5,000 floor. If 8% of your home’s value is less than $5,000, you get the $5,000 minimum instead.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead
Over-65 and Disabled Homeowner Exemptions
Homeowners who are 65 or older, or who meet the state’s definition of disabled, receive an additional exemption on top of the general homestead. For the 2025 tax year, Garland exempts $60,000 of appraised value for qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners, up from $56,000 in prior years.9City of Garland. Garland City Council Increases Homestead and Senior Tax Exemptions This exemption stacks with the 8% general homestead, so a 67-year-old with a $350,000 home subtracts both before the city rate is applied.
School districts must also provide a separate $60,000 exemption for over-65 and disabled homeowners, applied to the school portion of your bill.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead Qualifying homeowners also receive a school district tax ceiling: the school portion cannot rise above what it was in the first year you qualified, unless you add improvements to the property.10State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.26 – Limitation on School District Taxes
The 10% Appraisal Cap
Once you have held a homestead exemption for a full tax year, DCAD cannot raise your home’s appraised value by more than 10% per year, regardless of what the market does. The cap takes effect on January 1 of the second year after you first qualify.11State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead New improvements like an addition or a pool get added at full market value on top of the cap, but ordinary maintenance does not trigger an increase. In a rising market this cap often does more to hold down your bill than any single exemption.
Disabled Veteran Exemptions
Veterans with a 100% VA disability rating, or those rated individually unemployable, receive a complete exemption on their primary residence: the entire appraised value comes off.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead Veterans with partial ratings receive fixed dollar reductions:
- 10% to 29% disability: $5,000 off appraised value
- 30% to 49% disability: $7,500 off appraised value
- 50% to 69% disability: $10,000 off appraised value
- 70% to 90% disability: $12,000 off appraised value
Veterans age 65 or older with at least a 10% rating receive the maximum $12,000 reduction regardless of their specific tier. Applications go to DCAD on Form 50-114 with a VA Summary of Benefits letter and a driver’s license matching the homestead address.
Protesting Your Appraised Value
If DCAD’s value looks too high, you have the right to protest, and this is where most homeowners leave money on the table. Each spring DCAD mails a Notice of Appraised Value showing current and prior-year values, the exemptions applied, and instructions for filing a protest.12State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 25.19 – Notice of Appraised Value
The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after DCAD delivers your notice, whichever is later.13State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 41.44 – Notice of Protest File electronically through DCAD’s uFile Online Protest System from your property account page, or submit a written protest by mail. DCAD does not accept protests by fax or email.14Dallas Central Appraisal District. The Protest Process
After filing, DCAD usually schedules an informal meeting with appraisal staff first, and many protests resolve there. Bring comparable sales showing similar homes nearby that sold for less than your appraised value, and photos of any condition issues. If the informal meeting does not produce an agreement, your case moves to a formal hearing before the Appraisal Review Board, an independent panel of private citizens. An ARB decision applies only to the tax year in question, so a successful protest does not automatically lower future values.14Dallas Central Appraisal District. The Protest Process You can look up your account details, appraised value, and nearby comparables on the DCAD site by entering your street address.6Dallas Central Appraisal District. DCAD – Find Property By Street Address
Payment Deadlines and Methods
Bills go out around October 1. Payment is due by January 31, and taxes become delinquent on February 1.15Dallas County. Dallas County Tax Office – Deadlines and Delinquency Pay through the Dallas County Tax Office’s online portal with a credit card or electronic check, or in person at a county office. The county accepts partial payments, which get applied proportionally across the outstanding tax, penalty, and interest balances.4Dallas County. Tax Office – Property Tax Lookup/Payment Application
If you have a mortgage, your lender likely pays taxes from an escrow account. Federal regulations make the servicer responsible for disbursing those payments on time.16Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 1024.17 Escrow Accounts Still, check your annual escrow statement to confirm the payment went through. If the servicer misses the deadline, the penalties attach to your property, and unwinding that is a headache you do not want.
What Happens If You Pay Late
Penalties escalate quickly after January 31. In February, a 6% penalty and 1% interest attach to the unpaid balance. Each additional month adds another 1% penalty and 1% interest.17State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.01 – Penalties and Interest
If taxes remain unpaid on July 1, the total penalty jumps to a flat 12%, and the taxing unit may add up to 20% more to cover the cost of hiring a collections attorney.18State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.07 – Additional Penalty for Collection Costs Interest keeps running at 1% per month for as long as the debt stays open, even after a court judgment. On a $3,000 tax bill, waiting until July can mean an extra $360 in penalty, $150 or more in interest, and potentially another $600 in attorney collection costs. There is no grace period, and penalties accumulate whether or not you received your bill.
Deferrals and Installment Plans
Texas law gives qualifying homeowners two ways to handle the bill when paying in full by January 31 is not realistic.
Tax Deferral for Seniors, Disabled Homeowners, and Disabled Veterans
If you are 65 or older, disabled, or a qualifying disabled veteran, you can defer all property tax collection on your homestead indefinitely by filing an affidavit with DCAD’s chief appraiser.19State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.06 – Deferred Collection of Taxes on Residence Homestead of Elderly or Disabled Person or Disabled Veteran During the deferral, no taxing unit can sue or foreclose for delinquent taxes. The lien stays in place, interest accrues at 5% annually rather than 1% per month, and no new penalties pile up.
Deferred taxes come due 181 days after you stop owning and occupying the property as your homestead. A surviving spouse who was at least 55 when the qualifying homeowner died can continue the deferral.19State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.06 – Deferred Collection of Taxes on Residence Homestead of Elderly or Disabled Person or Disabled Veteran This option fits homeowners who are house-rich and cash-poor, but the 5% annual interest means the deferred balance grows meaningfully over time.
Four-Installment Payment Plan
Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or qualifying disabled veterans can split the tax bill into four equal payments with no penalty or interest. The first installment is due by January 31 with written notice that you intend to pay in installments. The remaining three are due before April 1, June 1, and August 1.20State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 31.031 – Installment Payments of Certain Homestead Taxes Miss any installment and a 6% penalty plus 1% monthly interest attaches to the unpaid portion. For most qualifying homeowners this plan beats the deferral because you avoid interest entirely as long as you hit the dates.