Agricultural Valuation
Ag valuation can sharply lower land taxes
Landowners who actively farm or ranch can apply to have their property taxed on its agricultural productivity instead of its market value.
Texas offers what is called open-space (1-d-1) appraisal. Instead of taxing your land at what it could sell for, the appraisal district taxes it based on what it can earn through farming or ranching. For rural Van Zandt County land, this difference can be substantial.
To qualify, your land must have been used for agriculture for at least five of the past seven years and meet intensity standards for this area. If you later convert the land to non-farm use, you owe rollback taxes for up to three prior years. Apply with Form 50-129 at the Van Zandt Appraisal District. The Texas Comptroller's page explains eligibility in detail.
Source to confirm: Texas Comptroller — Agricultural and Timber Appraisal