California Property Tax Exemption Finder
Three questions to find which property tax exemptions you may qualify for — as a homeowner, a disabled veteran, or a nonprofit — with a link to the right tool for each.
Most California homeowners can claim the $7,000 Homeowners' Exemption if the home is their principal residence on January 1. Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability or 100% unemployability may qualify for a much larger exemption, and qualifying nonprofits can claim the welfare exemption. Every exemption needs a claim filed with your county assessor.
Tell us who owns the property. This tool points you to the right calculator; it does not decide eligibility, and the county assessor makes the final call.
Property Tax Exemption Finder
Your Property Tax Exemptions
How this works
A property tax exemption removes part or all of a property's taxable value, and each one has its own eligibility rules and claim process at the county assessor. This finder routes you using three facts.
Individuals
For an individual, the Homeowners' Exemption reduces assessed value by $7,000 and requires the home to be your principal residence as of the January 1 lien date; the Disabled Veterans' Exemption requires a 100% service-connected disability rating or 100% unemployability (partial ratings do not qualify) and also applies to your principal residence, and unmarried surviving spouses of eligible veterans may claim it too.
Nonprofits
For a nonprofit, the welfare exemption covers property used exclusively for religious, hospital, scientific or charitable purposes and requires a State Board of Equalization Organizational Clearance Certificate; California also has separate exemptions for churches and religious property, colleges, cemeteries, free public libraries, free museums and veterans' organizations, so ask your assessor if your use fits one of those.
What is not covered
Business, investor and rental property is generally not covered by these exemptions. The figures shown come from the same data the individual tools use, so they update together each year. Exemptions are different from Prop 13 and Prop 19: those limit how assessed value grows and how it transfers or is reassessed after inheritance, and they have their own tools linked below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What property tax exemptions are available in California?
The main ones are the Homeowners' Exemption, which reduces the assessed value of your principal residence by $7,000; the Disabled Veterans' Exemption for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating or 100% unemployability; and the welfare exemption for qualifying nonprofits. California also has separate exemptions for churches and religious property, colleges, cemeteries, free public libraries, free museums and veterans' organizations.
Do I have to apply for a property tax exemption?
Yes. Every exemption requires a claim filed with the county assessor where the property is located. The Homeowners' Exemption is a one-time claim that renews automatically while you occupy the home, the Disabled Veterans' Exemption has its own filing and recertification steps, and the welfare exemption needs an Organizational Clearance Certificate from the State Board of Equalization plus a claim every year.
Does the Homeowners' Exemption apply to a rental or vacation home?
No. It applies only to a home that is your principal residence as of January 1, the lien date.
Are Prop 13 and Prop 19 property tax exemptions?
No. Exemptions reduce or remove the taxable value of a property. Prop 13 limits how fast assessed value can grow, and Prop 19 governs transferring a base year value to a replacement home and reassessment of inherited property. They are separate relief with their own tools on this site.
Where do I file a property tax exemption claim?
With the assessor of the county where the property is located. Deadlines are generally February 15 to receive the full exemption for that year, and the tools linked from this page show the specific forms and deadlines for each exemption.
This tool is a routing aid and is not legal or tax advice. Your county assessor decides whether a property qualifies for an exemption. Confirm eligibility, figures and deadlines with the assessor or the State Board of Equalization before filing.