Agriculture / Property tax
Productive land in Austin County can qualify for ag valuation
Landowners who farm, ranch, or manage land for wildlife may qualify for ag valuation (1-d-1). It taxes land on what it produces, not what it would sell for — often a much lower bill.
Texas law lets qualifying land be taxed on what it produces — not on what it would sell for. This is called ag valuation, or 1-d-1. In Austin County, most farm income comes from livestock. Ag valuation can cut a landowner's tax bill by a lot.
To qualify, the land must have been in agricultural use for at least five of the past seven years. Qualifying uses include cattle grazing, hay production, row crops, and wildlife management. You file an Agricultural 1-d-1 Application with the Austin County Appraisal District (ACAD). ACAD also accepts wildlife management plans for land that already had ag valuation.
If you switch ag-valued land to a non-ag use, you may owe a rollback tax. That tax covers the difference in taxes for the past three years, plus interest.
Talk to ACAD before you buy or change how you use the land. Ask about the current acreage minimums and intensity standards. Those details can change.
Source to confirm: Austin County Appraisal District — Forms & Applications