Agricultural Appraisal
Ag Valuation: Lower Taxes for Working Land in Travis County
Land used for farming or ranching may qualify for a much lower tax appraisal based on what the land produces, not what it could sell for.
Texas law lets qualifying farm and ranch land be appraised on its productivity value instead of market value. That usually means a much lower tax bill. The land must be actively used for agriculture — things like crops, livestock, or wildlife management — and must have been used that way for at least 5 of the last 7 years.
In Travis County, grazing land typically needs 12 to 20 acres to qualify, depending on location. If you stop farming the land and convert it to another use, you may owe a rollback tax — the difference between what you paid and what you would have owed at market value, going back three years. Apply through TCAD using Form 50-129 (the Open-Space Agricultural Use application).
Source to confirm: Texas Comptroller – Ag Special Appraisal