Taxes & Closing Costs

    Proration

    The division of a recurring expense such as property tax, insurance, or HOA dues between buyer and seller at closing based on the closing date.

    Proration splits an ongoing expense fairly between the buyer and the seller based on how long each owns the property during the period. Property taxes, insurance, and association dues are commonly prorated at closing.

    Because Texas property taxes are paid in arrears, a seller usually owes the buyer for the part of the year the seller owned before closing, which appears as a debit to the seller and a credit to the buyer. The exam question states whether to use a 360-day or 365-day year and who owns the day of closing.

    On the exam

    Find the daily rate, count the days each party owns, then assign the debit and credit. Day-of-closing ownership follows the stated convention.

    Exam trap

    Get the direction right. With taxes paid in arrears, the seller owes the buyer, not the other way around.

    Tested in

    Real Estate Math (6% of the exam)

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    This definition is Texas real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.