Kaufman County property tax bills generally run between $2.00 and $2.50 per $100 of assessed value once you add up every taxing unit that overlaps your address. The county itself adopted a 2025 rate of $0.334478 per $100,1Kaufman Central Appraisal District. 2025 Tax Rates but your school district drives most of what you owe, and your city and any special districts fill out the rest. Where exactly you land in that range depends on your location and the exemptions you qualify for.
The 2025 Rates That Build Your Bill
No single government controls your full rate. The Kaufman County Commissioners Court sets the county portion, your school district board sets the school portion, your city council sets the city portion, and special districts (emergency services, water, community college) each add their own. The 2025 county rate of $0.334478 breaks into $0.277726 for maintenance and operations and $0.056752 for debt service.1Kaufman Central Appraisal District. 2025 Tax Rates
School districts account for the biggest line on most bills. The 2025 totals for the major Kaufman County districts:
- Forney ISD: $1.2869 per $100
- Kaufman ISD: $1.2552 per $100
- Crandall ISD: $1.1992 per $100
- Kemp ISD: $1.1735 per $100
- Terrell ISD: $1.1305 per $100
Those school rates alone make up more than three-quarters of what a typical homeowner pays.1Kaufman Central Appraisal District. 2025 Tax Rates Stack your school rate on top of the county’s $0.3345, add whatever your city charges, add any special districts, and you have your combined rate.
How the Bill Is Calculated
The math is simple. Divide your taxable value by 100, then multiply by the combined rate for your location. What changes everything is the difference between appraised value (what the Kaufman Central Appraisal District says your property is worth) and taxable value (appraised value minus your exemptions).
Say KCAD appraises your home at $350,000 and you have a $100,000 school-district homestead exemption. Your taxable value for the school portion drops to $250,000. At Forney ISD’s $1.2869, that’s $3,217 instead of $4,504. The county and other units run their own calculations using whichever exemptions apply to their portion of the bill.
KCAD handles valuation for every taxing unit in the county and covers more than 60,000 parcels a year.2Kaufman Central Appraisal District. General Policy and Policy for Public Access for Kaufman Central Appraisal District It assigns market values as of January 1 using generally accepted appraisal methods, based on each property’s individual characteristics.3State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.01 – Appraisals Generally KCAD does not set rates. Its authority stops at the value.
The 10-Percent Homestead Cap
Once you have a homestead exemption, Texas limits how fast your appraised value can climb. Starting the second year after the exemption is granted, the appraised value can rise no more than 10 percent over the prior year’s figure, plus the value of any new improvements. Market value may jump 25 percent in a hot year, but your taxable appraised value is held to the 10-percent ceiling until it eventually catches up.
Exemptions That Lower What You Owe
Exemptions cut your taxable value before the rate ever gets applied, so filing for every one you qualify for is the single most effective move most homeowners can make. You apply through KCAD, and most exemptions require only a one-time application unless your circumstances change.
General Homestead
Any adult who owns and occupies a home as their primary residence qualifies. For school district taxes, the exemption removes $100,000 from your appraised value.4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead Counties and cities may offer their own optional homestead exemptions on top of the school district amount, with dollar figures that vary by jurisdiction.
Over-65 and Disability
Homeowners 65 or older, and homeowners with a qualifying disability, get an additional $10,000 school-district exemption on top of the $100,000. Other taxing units may add exemptions of at least $3,000. You can’t claim both the over-65 and disability exemption at once; the taxing unit applies whichever gives you the larger benefit.
The over-65 exemption also freezes the school-district portion of your bill at the amount you paid the year the exemption took effect. It doesn’t go up unless you make improvements to the property. That freeze can save thousands over time as rates and values rise around you.
Disabled Veterans
Veterans with a 100-percent disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or a determination of individual unemployability, receive a complete exemption on their residence homestead and pay zero property tax on that home.5State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.131 – Residence Homestead of 100 Percent or Totally Disabled Veteran A surviving spouse can keep the exemption on the same property as long as they haven’t remarried. Veterans with partial disability ratings may qualify for a separate exemption under a different provision that can apply to any property they own.
Protesting Your Appraised Value
If you think KCAD overvalued your property, protest. A successful protest lowers your appraised value, which lowers your taxable value, which lowers your bill with every taxing unit on the property. Even a $20,000 reduction saves real money year after year.
File a written notice of protest with the Appraisal Review Board by May 15, or within 30 days of the date your appraisal notice was delivered, whichever is later.6State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 41.44 – Notice of Protest Miss the window and you’re stuck with the value for the year.
Strong evidence includes recent sales of comparable properties near yours, photos of condition issues (foundation problems, roof damage, outdated systems), and independent appraisals. Before your hearing, request a copy of the evidence the appraisal district plans to use. Both sides must share evidence either before or at the start of the hearing, and in most cases the appraisal district carries the burden of proving the value.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures Bring your evidence on paper or a USB drive; the Comptroller’s guidance says explicitly not to show up with evidence only on a smartphone.
When the Bill Is Due
The Kaufman County Tax Assessor-Collector mails tax notices in early October. Taxes are due on receipt and become delinquent if not paid before February 1 of the following year.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 31.02 – Delinquency Date You have roughly four months from the time the bill lands.
Pay online through the Kaufman County Tax Office, by phone at 1-866-549-1010 (Bureau Code 5499044), or in person or by mail with cash, check, money order, or cashier’s check.9Kaufman County, Texas. Tax Assessor Credit card payments carry a convenience fee; paying by check or electronic transfer avoids it.
What Late Payment Costs
Miss February 1 and the penalties and interest escalate month by month:10State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.01 – Penalties and Interest
- February: 6% penalty + 1% interest
- March: 7% penalty + 2% interest
- April: 8% penalty + 3% interest
- May: 9% penalty + 4% interest
- June: 10% penalty + 5% interest
- July 1 and after: 12% penalty flat, plus 1% interest for each additional month
By July 1 you’re looking at 18 percent added to the original bill, with interest continuing to accrue at 1 percent a month. On a $5,000 bill, waiting until July costs an extra $900. If taxes go unpaid long enough, the county can sue and eventually force a tax lien sale on the property.
Installment Payments for Seniors and Disabled Homeowners
Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or qualifying disabled veterans can split homestead property taxes into four equal installments without penalty or interest. Make the first payment before February 1 and include written notice that you intend to pay in installments. The second is due before April 1, the third before June 1, and the fourth before August 1.11State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 31.031 – Installment Payments of Certain Homestead Taxes Miss an installment and the unpaid amount becomes delinquent, picking up a 6-percent penalty plus 1-percent monthly interest. The agreement applies to every taxing unit on your bill, and you can’t enter one after March 1.