Senior Tax Freeze and Exemption
The City offers a $30,000 senior tax exemption as well as a senior tax freeze, Rowlett is still one of only seven Dallas County cities that offer the tax freeze. The exemption and freeze is a great way to help seniors stay in their Rowlett home, even in times of increasing home valuations.

1. What is the senior tax freeze?
The freeze sets a ceiling on the amount of actual taxes the person will ever pay to the City of Rowlett - the frozen amount is determined in the first year they obtain the senior exemption. They will never pay more than that amount, regardless of what happens to their assessed value and regardless of what happens to the tax rate. They may pay less - if the assessed value and/or the tax rate goes down.

2. What is the senior tax exemption?
The $30,000 exemption means the year that a person becomes 65, they are given a $30,000 exemption off of their home's assessed value.

The exemption amount can be changed, but the tax freeze is forever.

In 2004, the City set the senior tax exemption at $67,000, the third highest rate in Dallas County. In addition, the City adopted the freeze (again the freeze can never be changed) and was one of only seven cities in Dallas County to provide the senior tax freeze.


3. How does this affect the City?
For the FY2018 tax year - 10/1/17 through 9/30/18, the City will not receive $2.7 million in property taxes due to the senior tax exemption and freeze. That equates to 7 cents of the property tax rate.

Due to the senior exemption and freeze, property taxes paid to the City in 2014 were $3.4 million less than if the senior exemption and freeze were not in place. In 2014, the City had an across the board tax increase to fund city services and deferred maintenance that suffered tremendously from the great recession. The City also lowered the senior exemption amount from $67,000 to $30,000. Since the senior freeze was still in place, seniors that already had the exemption and freeze in place were not negatively impacted. And new seniors coming to that age still receive a great tax break in the year they turn 65 - the $30,000 exemption and the tax freeze.

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1. NTMWD Membership
2. North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD)
3. North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) Cost of Service Review
4. Dalrock Road Curves
5. Sapphire Bay
6. Economic Development
7. Senior Tax Freeze and Exemption
8. Multi-Family Developments
9. Utility Bills
10. SB2 and the City Tax Rate
11. Bayside Project History
12. Village of Rowlett Downtown
13. Liquor Stores
14. Streets and Alleys
15. Parks
16. Scenic Point Park
17. Rowlett Community Centre
18. State Highway 66 Median Beautification Project
19. Rowlett Public Library
20. Rental Housing Standards Program
21. Housing Finance Corporation