Property tax relief for seniors

Did you know that the District of Columbia provides a substantial discount on real estate property taxes for seniors?

If eligible, a senior can save 50% on his or her property tax bill. Further, the threshold for the income level was raised to its current level on October 1, 2013 (previously the threshold was $100,000), so some seniors who were unable to qualify previously might want to take another look at their eligibility.

To be eligible:

• At least one owner of the property must be 65 of older;
• The total household adjusted gross income must be less than $125,000; and
• The senior must have at least 50% ownership of the property to qualify.

Keep in mind that if the senior no longer occupies the property, or if any of the above eligibility requirements are no longer met, a cancellation form must be submitted to the DC Office of Tax and Revenue within 30 days of the change in eligibility.

Failure to do so could result in the DC Office of Tax and Revenue applying penalties and interest.

The Senior Citizen Tax Relief application can be found the DC Office of Tax and Revenue website.