‘My husband will be missed’: Woman says burying a loved one in the backyard means avoiding property taxes. Is that true?
Modern burial and funeral practices are changing—and rapidly. Whether due to environmental or land use concerns, there are more eco-friendly burial options to choose from than ever. Choices include natural burials, green burials, eternal reefs, and even space burials.
But one TikTok user is urging her followers to consider a different potential motivation for choosing an alternative to the traditional cemetery burial or cremation routes. And that motive is financial.
TikToker and influencer realkipforce posted a video recently in which she suggests homeowners bury their loved ones in the backyard. "Did you know that if you bury a loved one in your backyard that your house now is zoned as a cemetery and you no longer owe property taxes?" she says in the video.
@realkipforce Just sharing this free information to you guys do with it what you want ##freethinking #generations #money #people ♬ original sound - realkipforce
Realkipforce continues: "As well as you're no longer part of any HOA or any government anything. Your house is a write-off. It's tax free on any upgrades to your house. They can never take your house after that. Generational wealth. So think about this."
The video has amassed more than 4.3 million views since it was posted on Aug. 1. Viewers weighed in on everything from how they will satisfy the alleged loophole or whether the decision could impact property values. Others pointed out there is some fine print to this advice.
“My husband will be missed,” joked one user.
“at the reunion like: WHO GON TAKE ONE FOR TEAM,” agreed user Mia.
“Dog? Cat? Loved one? Right,” wrote Darcel.
“what if they’re already cremated? And you bury the urn??? Or the ashes?” asked Jamey.
Commenter Stephanie had a warning: “Please call the gas company before ya dig though.”
“Check your local laws bc in some places you have to have special permits or it’s against the law,” advised Jeni J.
In the Daily Dot’s home state of Texas, it is legal to have a loved one’s body at home after death, provided that you follow rules concerning its handling. There is also no state law prohibiting burial on one’s own property, although local restrictions may prohibit the practice within city limits.
However, you can only obtain property tax relief if the property where the burial will occur is only used for that purpose. In other words, you can’t just bury a body in your backyard and claim tax exempt status.
The Daily Dot reached out to realkipforce via TikTok for comment.
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