Forney TX tax rates combine to roughly $2.04 per $100 of appraised property value for tax year 2025, split among the City of Forney, Kaufman County, and Forney Independent School District. Add an 8.25% sales tax on most purchases, and those are the two main taxes you will deal with as a resident. Texas levies no personal income tax, so what you pay locally is most of the picture.
What the Property Tax Rate Actually Is
Texas calculates property tax per $100 of a property’s appraised value. For 2025, the three primary taxing entities in Forney set these rates:
- City of Forney: $0.421431 per $100 valuation
- Kaufman County: $0.334478 per $100 valuation
- Forney Independent School District: $1.286900 per $100 valuation
Combined, that’s about $2.042809 per $100.1Kaufman Central Appraisal District. 2025 Tax Rates On a home appraised at $350,000, the full annual bill before exemptions lands near $7,150. The school district drives most of it: roughly $4,504 from Forney ISD, about $1,475 from the city, and about $1,171 from the county.
Each entity’s rate has two parts. A maintenance and operations rate funds day-to-day services like roads, police, and schools. A debt service rate pays off bonds for capital projects. Depending on where in Forney your property sits, additional overlapping districts such as emergency services districts can appear on the bill, so your actual combined rate may be slightly higher than the three-entity total above.
Public Improvement District Assessments
Many of Forney’s newer master-planned communities fall inside a Public Improvement District. A PID is a financing tool that lets the city levy assessments on properties within the district to pay for infrastructure like roads, water lines, parks, and drainage that serves that specific development.2City of Forney. Public Improvement Districts
These assessments are separate from your regular property tax bill and sit on top of it. They can add several hundred to over a thousand dollars a year, depending on the district. If you are buying in Forney, ask whether the property is inside a PID before you close. Builders have to disclose it, but the detail is easy to miss in the paperwork.
Sales Tax Rate
Sales tax in Forney is 8.25% on taxable goods and services. The state takes 6.25%, and the remaining 2.00% is split among four local allocations:
- City of Forney general fund: 1.00%
- Property tax reduction: 0.50%
- Forney Economic Development Corporation: 0.25%
- Crime Control and Prevention District: 0.25%
The 0.50% property tax reduction allocation is earmarked to offset property tax revenue, which effectively subsidizes the property tax rate. The EDC share funds business recruitment and infrastructure aimed at broadening the commercial tax base. The crime control district funds public safety.3City of Forney. Taxes
Exemptions That Lower Your Property Tax Bill
If you live in the home you own, exemptions are where the real savings are. Filing is a one-time step for most of them.
General Residential Homestead
Texas Tax Code Section 11.13 requires school districts to exempt $140,000 of a home’s appraised value from school district taxes. On a $350,000 home, Forney ISD taxes you on $210,000 instead of the full value, which saves roughly $1,803 a year at the current ISD rate.4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead Any taxing unit can also adopt an optional exemption of up to 20% of a property’s appraised value, with a minimum exemption of $5,000.5Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions
Over 65 or Disabled
If you are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability, you get an additional $60,000 school district exemption on top of the standard $140,000, for $200,000 total. Other taxing units can adopt additional local exemptions of at least $3,000 for these homeowners.4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead
The bigger benefit is the tax ceiling. Once you turn 65 or qualify as disabled, your school district tax amount is frozen at what you paid that first qualifying year. If your home’s value doubles over the next decade, the school portion of your bill still cannot exceed that ceiling. It can go down if rates drop. County and city taxes are not automatically frozen unless those entities have adopted their own ceiling.
Disabled Veterans
Veterans with a service-connected disability receive partial exemptions tied to their VA disability rating, ranging from $5,000 at a 10 to 29% rating up to $12,000 at 70 to 100%. Veterans who are 65 or older automatically qualify for the $12,000 maximum regardless of their disability percentage.6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Exemptions Frequently Asked Questions Veterans rated 100% disabled receive a full exemption on their homestead, meaning zero property taxes.
How to File
Applications go to the Kaufman County Appraisal District. The general deadline is April 30, but late applications are accepted up to two years after the deadline for most exemptions. Disabled veterans applying for the 100% exemption have up to five years.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Residence Homestead Exemptions You need a Texas driver’s license or state ID showing the property address. For disability or age exemptions, you also need documentation of your rating or age.
Protesting Your Appraisal
Your tax rate is only half the equation. The other half is the appraised value the Kaufman County Appraisal District assigns each year. If the appraisal comes in higher than you think the property is worth, you can protest.
The deadline to file a protest is May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mails your notice of appraised value, whichever is later. You file a Notice of Protest with the Kaufman County Appraisal Review Board. The process usually starts with an informal review and, if that does not settle it, moves to a formal hearing. Bring comparable sales data, photos of condition issues, or a recent independent appraisal. In a fast-growing market like Forney, mass appraisals can overshoot individual property conditions, and protests sometimes produce meaningful reductions.
Payment Deadlines and Penalties
Tax bills are mailed in early October and are due on receipt. The absolute deadline is January 31 of the following year. The Kaufman County Tax Office accepts payment online by credit card or e-check (credit cards carry a processing fee), by phone, by mail, or in person.8Kaufman County, TX. Tax Assessor
Miss January 31 and the penalties stack up quickly. Under Texas Tax Code Section 33.01, a delinquent bill picks up a 6% penalty in February plus 1% interest, for a 7% addition. Each additional month adds another 1% penalty and 1% interest. On July 1, the penalty jumps to a flat 12% of the tax owed, and interest keeps accruing at 1% per month. A collection penalty of up to 20% can be tacked on once the account is referred to an attorney.9State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.01 – Penalties and Interest Prolonged nonpayment leads to tax liens and eventually foreclosure.
If you are 65 or older, disabled, or a disabled veteran, you can split your property tax into four equal installments without penalty. Make the first payment before February 1 and send written notice that you intend to pay in installments. The remaining three are due before April 1, June 1, and August 1. Miss any installment and a 6% penalty plus 1% monthly interest applies to the unpaid portion.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Payment Options