Are you a senior citizen or person with disabilities? Property tax relief could be yours.
Through our recent conversations with County Assessor Paul Easter, we’ve learned several ways to maintain the value of your home without worrying about increasing taxation as well as saving money on property taxes when adding value to your home.
Today, we want to simplify the guidelines used to qualify senior citizens and homeowners with disabilities for exemptions and property tax relief.
Paul says his office has been letting folks know about this program for years, but he knows that even more people on Grays Harbor could benefit by taking part.
How do I know if I’m eligible?
To qualify for this exemption, you must either be 61 years old on December 31 of the year in which you apply, or must be unable to work because of physical disability. Your doctor’s written statement is sufficient proof of disability and it must be included with your application.
If your household income is between $30,000 and $34,000, you may qualify for a different program – Property Tax Deferrals for Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons. Call the Assessor’s Office for more information.
If you have a maximum annual household income of $30,000 or less, you qualify for the Senior Citizen and Disabled Person Property Tax Exemption Program. That figure includes all your income – taxable or not – everything from wages, tips, alimony, retirement plans or capital gains, to public assistance, Social Security, veteran’s benefits, annuities and more. This is known as your disposable income.
But, in determining your disposable income, you do get to deduct your out-of-pocket costs for the following:
- Medical treatment, physical therapy, Meals on Wheels, and household and personal care.
- Special furniture and equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and oxygen.
- Non-reimbursed amounts you pay for goods and services that allow you or your spouse to receive in-home care, similar to the care provided by a nursing home.
- Non-reimbursed amounts paid for prescription drugs for you or your spouse.
- Non-reimbursed amounts paid for nursing home care for you or your spouse.
You also need not claim capital gains you receive from the sale of your home, if the gain is reinvested in a replacement home.
For those with a disposable household income below $30,000, the Senior Citizen and Disabled Person Property Tax Exemption Program freezes the value of the home for tax purposes and exempts all excess or special levies (the type you vote on).
If your income is less than $24,000, there may be an additional exemption for a portion of regular levies.
In any event, the assessor will continue to establish the market value of your property, but you will be billed only for the taxes on the frozen value.
What does exemption include?
The exemption is just for the house you live in and up to one acre of land – not vacation or rental homes. However, a mobile home may qualify as your residence even if you do not own the land where the mobile home is sitting.
While the rule is that you must occupy the home at least six months in a year, your home still may qualify if you are temporarily in a hospital or nursing home. You can even rent your home to someone else during your hospital or nursing home stay if the income is used to help pay the medical bills.
Refunds and renewals
If you are eligible for this program, but have been paying property taxes because you hadn’t heard of the program or because of a mistake, you can apply for a refund by filing an application for refund with the County Assessor.
It’s possible you could get a refund of up to the last three years of taxes.
Once you’ve been approved for the program, the exemption applies until a new application is required. A new application is required at least once every four years. But don’t worry, the County Assessor’s Office will tell you when. It’s also required if you sell your property and move to a new home.
It’s not that complicated
It’s really pretty easy and the nice folks at the Grays Harbor County Assessor’s Office are eager to help you establish eligibility.
So stop by the office in the second floor of the County Courthouse annex or give them a call at 249-4121. They will send you the easy-to-read flier and an application to fill out.
"Or, if you have a problem with transportation, we make house calls," Paul said. "We can arrange to meet you at your home and help you fill out the paper work."
If you think you might be eligible, that sounds to us like an offer too good to refuse!
Next week we plan to tell you what to do if you flat out disagree with your property assessment.
Dave Murnen and Pat Beaty are construction specialists at Aberdeen Neighborhood Housing Services, a non-profit organization committed to creating safe and affordable housing for all residents of Grays Harbor County. Do you have questions about home repair, remodeling or becoming a homeowner? Call us at 533-7828, write us at P.O. Box 407, or visit us at 710 E. Market St. in Aberdeen.
