Terms Used In Texas Tax Code 1.04

  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Appraised value: means the value determined as provided by Chapter 23 of this code. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Assessed value: means , for the purposes of assessment of property for taxation, the amount determined by multiplying the appraised value by the applicable assessment ratio, but, for the purposes of determining the debt limitation imposed by Article III, § 52, of the Texas Constitution, shall mean the market value of the property recorded by the chief appraiser. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Assessor: means the officer or employee responsible for assessing property taxes as provided by Chapter 26 of this code for a taxing unit by whatever title he is designated. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Comptroller: means the Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Heir property: means real property:
    (A) owned by one or more individuals, at least one of whom claims the property as the individual's residence homestead; and
    (B) acquired by the owner or owners by will, transfer on death deed, or intestacy, regardless of whether the interests of the owners are recorded in the real property records of the county in which the property is located. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Improvement: means :
    (A) a building, structure, fixture, or fence erected on or affixed to land;
    (B) a transportable structure that is designed to be occupied for residential or business purposes, whether or not it is affixed to land, if the owner of the structure owns the land on which it is located, unless the structure is unoccupied and held for sale or normally is located at a particular place only temporarily; or
    (C) for purposes of an entity created under § 52, Article III, or § 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, the:
    (i) subdivision of land by plat;
    (ii) installation of water, sewer, or drainage lines; or
    (iii) paving of undeveloped land. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
  • Market value: means the price at which a property would transfer for cash or its equivalent under prevailing market conditions if:
    (A) exposed for sale in the open market with a reasonable time for the seller to find a purchaser;
    (B) both the seller and the purchaser know of all the uses and purposes to which the property is adapted and for which it is capable of being used and of the enforceable restrictions on its use; and
    (C) both the seller and purchaser seek to maximize their gains and neither is in a position to take advantage of the exigencies of the other. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Partial exemption: means an exemption of part of the value of taxable property. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Real property: means :
    (A) land;
    (B) an improvement;
    (C) a mine or quarry;
    (D) a mineral in place;
    (E) standing timber; or
    (F) an estate or interest, other than a mortgage or deed of trust creating a lien on property or an interest securing payment or performance of an obligation, in a property enumerated in Paragraphs (A) through (E) of this subdivision. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Taxing unit: means a county, an incorporated city or town (including a home-rule city), a school district, a special district or authority (including a junior college district, a hospital district, a district created by or pursuant to the Water Code, a mosquito control district, a fire prevention district, or a noxious weed control district), or any other political unit of this state, whether created by or pursuant to the constitution or a local, special, or general law, that is authorized to impose and is imposing ad valorem taxes on property even if the governing body of another political unit determines the tax rate for the unit or otherwise governs its affairs. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005

In this title:
(1) “Property” means any matter or thing capable of private ownership.
(2) “Real property” means:
(A) land;
(B) an improvement;
(C) a mine or quarry;
(D) a mineral in place;
(E) standing timber; or
(F) an estate or interest, other than a mortgage or deed of trust creating a lien on property or an interest securing payment or performance of an obligation, in a property enumerated in Paragraphs (A) through (E) of this subdivision.
(3) “Improvement” means:
(A) a building, structure, fixture, or fence erected on or affixed to land;
(B) a transportable structure that is designed to be occupied for residential or business purposes, whether or not it is affixed to land, if the owner of the structure owns the land on which it is located, unless the structure is unoccupied and held for sale or normally is located at a particular place only temporarily; or
(C) for purposes of an entity created under § 52, Article III, or § 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, the:
(i) subdivision of land by plat;
(ii) installation of water, sewer, or drainage lines; or
(iii) paving of undeveloped land.
(3-a) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, a manufactured home is an improvement to real property only if the owner of the home has elected to treat the manufactured home as real property pursuant to § 1201.2055, Occupations Code, and a copy of the statement of ownership has been filed with the real property records of the county in which the home is located as provided in § 1201.2055(d), Occupations Code.
(4) “Personal property” means property that is not real property.
(5) “Tangible personal property” means personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or otherwise perceived by the senses, but does not include a document or other perceptible object that constitutes evidence of a valuable interest, claim, or right and has negligible or no intrinsic value.
(6) “Intangible personal property” means a claim, interest (other than an interest in tangible property), right, or other thing that has value but cannot be seen, felt, weighed, measured, or otherwise perceived by the senses, although its existence may be evidenced by a document. It includes a stock, bond, note or account receivable, franchise, license or permit, demand or time deposit, certificate of deposit, share account, share certificate account, share deposit account, insurance policy, annuity, pension, cause of action, contract, and goodwill.
(7) “Market value” means the price at which a property would transfer for cash or its equivalent under prevailing market conditions if:
(A) exposed for sale in the open market with a reasonable time for the seller to find a purchaser;
(B) both the seller and the purchaser know of all the uses and purposes to which the property is adapted and for which it is capable of being used and of the enforceable restrictions on its use; and
(C) both the seller and purchaser seek to maximize their gains and neither is in a position to take advantage of the exigencies of the other.
(8) “Appraised value” means the value determined as provided by Chapter 23 of this code.
(9) “Assessed value” means, for the purposes of assessment of property for taxation, the amount determined by multiplying the appraised value by the applicable assessment ratio, but, for the purposes of determining the debt limitation imposed by Article III, § 52, of the Texas Constitution, shall mean the market value of the property recorded by the chief appraiser.
(10) “Taxable value” means the amount determined by deducting from assessed value the amount of any applicable partial exemption.
(11) “Partial exemption” means an exemption of part of the value of taxable property.
(12) “Taxing unit” means a county, an incorporated city or town (including a home-rule city), a school district, a special district or authority (including a junior college district, a hospital district, a district created by or pursuant to the Water Code, a mosquito control district, a fire prevention district, or a noxious weed control district), or any other political unit of this state, whether created by or pursuant to the constitution or a local, special, or general law, that is authorized to impose and is imposing ad valorem taxes on property even if the governing body of another political unit determines the tax rate for the unit or otherwise governs its affairs.
(13) “Tax year” means the calendar year.
(14) “Assessor” means the officer or employee responsible for assessing property taxes as provided by Chapter 26 of this code for a taxing unit by whatever title he is designated.
(15) “Collector” means the officer or employee responsible for collecting property taxes for a taxing unit by whatever title he is designated.
(16) “Possessory interest” means an interest that exists as a result of possession or exclusive use or a right to possession or exclusive use of a property and that is unaccompanied by ownership of a fee simple or life estate in the property. However, “possessory interest” does not include an interest, whether of limited or indeterminate duration, that involves a right to exhaust a portion of a real property.
(17) “Conservation and reclamation district” means a district created under Article III, § 52, or Article XVI, § 59, of the Texas Constitution, or under a statute enacted under Article III, § 52, or Article XVI, § 59, of the Texas Constitution.
(18) “Clerical error” means an error:
(A) that is or results from a mistake or failure in writing, copying, transcribing, entering or retrieving computer data, computing, or calculating; or
(B) that prevents an appraisal roll or a tax roll from accurately reflecting a finding or determination made by the chief appraiser, the appraisal review board, or the assessor; however, “clerical error” does not include an error that is or results from a mistake in judgment or reasoning in the making of the finding or determination.
(19) “Comptroller” means the Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas.
(20) “Heir property” means real property:
(A) owned by one or more individuals, at least one of whom claims the property as the individual’s residence homestead; and
(B) acquired by the owner or owners by will, transfer on death deed, or intestacy, regardless of whether the interests of the owners are recorded in the real property records of the county in which the property is located.
(21) “Heir property owner” means an owner of heir property who claims the property as the individual’s residence homestead.