St. Joseph County Property Tax Rebate for People 55 and Over: How to Apply

St. Joseph County, Indiana recently approved a tax relief program to help seniors affected by rising residential property taxes. Eligible residents are now eligible to attend St. You can apply for the St. Joseph County Property Tax Rebate Program. The City Council recently held a public session to answer questions about the program and will soon conduct a public petition to help seniors apply for credits.

Who will get the credit?

Last November, the St. Joseph County Council approved a tax relief program that allows residents 55 years of age or older (on or before Dec. 31 of the previous tax year) to apply for a tax credit that limits annual property tax increases to 2 percent. .

The program’s website states that “an eligible individual’s property tax increase must be 2% in any given year compared to the previous year used to determine the credit amount.”

St. Joseph County was the first of Indiana’s 92 counties to introduce tax breaks. There are no income restrictions to qualify for the St. Joseph County Property Tax Rebate Program, but residents must own and occupy their home for at least 10 years.

Additionally, the applicant must have taken the homestead exemption for the same property in the previous year and must continue to take the homestead exemption in the current year.

Only one credit can be applied per household. Note: Anyone 65 years of age or older who receives the Circuit Breaker Credit will not be eligible for the new credit. It is important to note that the credit does not apply to the portion of the home used for a trade or business.

St. Joseph County property tax rebates last for three years (until 2027), but the City Council has the authority to end them sooner. Beneficiaries do not have to reapply for the credit each year, but they must reapply if the property for which the credit is claimed is sold.

St. Joseph County Property Tax Refund: How to Apply

Applications for the St. Joseph County Property Tax Rebate Program open on January 1, 2024, and the last application date is December 31, 2024. If you apply before the deadline, the credit will be applied to your tax bill for the following year. So far, the county has received more than 750 applications for the credit program.

County officials have been reminding residents of this property tax rebate program, and Tuesday’s session was focused solely on that. During the session, county officials answered questions from the public regarding the credit program.

Separately, to help more people apply for credit, the county is opening a St. John’s Day event this Thursday (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). An open enrollment event was planned at the Joe County Central Library. Alternatively, residents can apply through the County Auditor’s website. All applicants will receive an email receipt as proof of submission.