SB1352

If the chief appraiser extends an owner’s rendition-statement or property-report deadline to May 15 under section 22.23(b), the appraiser must also extend that owner’s freeport-exemption and allocation-application deadlines to May 15. A rendition is a report of taxable property; extending it previously did not supply these new express linked extensions. Section 22.23(b) provides the May 15 extension on the owner’s written request. SB1352 does not move everyone automatically to May 15 without the specified trigger. Final law, sections 1 and 3; Rendition extension rule.

For good cause, the new freeport provision says the appraiser may grant a further written extension for a single period no more than 60 days from the deadline in section 11.43(d). The allocation provision says the appraiser shall grant a good-cause written extension no more than 30 days from the deadline in section 21.09(b). Those periods are anchored to the referenced statutory deadlines—not simply 60 or 30 extra days stacked onto May 15. The ordinary application deadline in those provisions is before May 1, with other specified circumstances addressed by the existing law. Final law; Exemption application deadlines; Allocation application deadlines.

For an approved late freeport application, the penalty owed to each taxing unit allowing the exemption becomes the lesser of: 10% of the difference between the tax imposed on the affected inventory or property and the tax that otherwise would have been imposed; or 10% of the tax imposed on that inventory or property. The bill retains the existing tax-difference calculation but adds the alternative cap. It does not cancel the penalty or guarantee every late applicant a reduction. Final law, section 2; Prior late-freeport application rule.

For an approved late allocation application, the penalty is the lesser of 10% of the tax reduction from allocation or 10% of the tax imposed with allocation. For example, if one taxing unit’s tax is $10,000 without allocation and $2,000 with it, the alternatives are $800 and $200; the new penalty is $200 rather than the previous $800. This is an illustration of the formula, not an estimate of anyone’s actual tax bill. Final law, section 4; Prior late-allocation rule.

Late applications still must meet the existing acceptance windows and be approved. The freeport rule generally uses the later of June 15 or the specified 60-day period following a section 22.22 notice; the allocation rule requires filing before appraisal-record approval by the appraisal review board. Notice, collection and lien provisions remain. SB1352 is not an unlimited opportunity to reopen any prior year’s application or a waiver of delinquent tax charges generally. Freeport late-filing window and collection; Allocation late-filing window and collection; Final law.

All five substantive versions match, and the official amendment index lists no separate amendments. The two linked May 15 extensions and lower-of-two penalty calculations were present from introduction through enrollment. Introduced bill; Senate committee text; Senate-passed text; House committee text; Text index; Amendment index; Final law.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Eligible owners gain coordinated filing time and may owe smaller late penalties when the new cap is lower. Appraisal districts must administer the linked extensions and revised calculations; taxing units may collect less penalty revenue. The act does not lower everyone’s underlying tax rate or expand all freeport eligibility rules. Final law.

The March 15 fiscal note anticipates no state fiscal impact, but expressly says local governments could collect less in penalty fees. It provides no dollar estimate of that local reduction. Its description uses could for the additional allocation extension, while the enacted text says shall for good cause shown; the final law controls. The act makes no appropriation. Fiscal note; Final law.