(MENAFN- ValueWalk) St. Joseph County, Indiana recently approved a tax relief program to help seniors with the recent increase in home property taxes. Eligible residents can now apply for the St. Joseph County property tax rebate program. The council recently held a public session to answer questions regarding the program and will soon hold a public signup to help seniors apply for the credit.
Who will get the credit?
In November, St. Joseph County Council approved the tax relief program to allow residents 55 or older (on or before December 31 for the preceding tax year) to apply for a credit that limits the increase in their annual property tax increase to just 2%.
“The percent increase on a qualified individual's property tax liability in a particular year compared to the prior year that is used to determine the amount of the credit shall be 2%,” the program's website says.
St. Joseph County is the first of 92 counties in Indiana to introduce the tax relief. There is no income limit to qualify for the St. Joseph County property tax rebate program, but the residents must have owned and lived in their home for a minimum of 10 years.
Also, the applicants must have received a homestead deduction for the same property in the immediately preceding calendar year and continue to receive a Homestead Deduction in the current calendar year.
Only one credit can be claimed per household. A person receiving the state's Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit can't receive the new credit. It must be noted that the credit won't apply to the portion of the house used for trade or business.
The St. Joseph County property tax rebate will last for three years (until 2027), but the council has the authority to end it earlier. Recipients don't need to re-apply for the credit every year, but re-application is required if the property for which the credit is claimed is sold.
St. Joseph County property tax rebate: how to apply
Applications for the St. Joseph County property tax rebate program opened Jan. 1, 2024, while the last date to apply is Dec. 31, 2024. If applied before the deadline, the credit will be applied to the next year's tax bill. So far, the county has received more than 750 applications for the credit program.
County officials are reminding residents of this property tax rebate program, and Tuesday's session was geared toward that only. During the session, county officials answered the public's questions related to the credit program.
Separately, to ensure more and more people apply for the credit, the county has scheduled a public signup event at the St. Joe County Main Library this Thursday (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Alternatively, residents can also apply via the
county auditor's website . Every applicant will receive an email receipt as proof that they filed.
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