https://www.wsj.com/articles/local-tax-breaks-retirees-11659…
**The Local Tax Break Many Retirees Don’t Know About — but Should**
**In this month’s Ask Encore: Many local governments offer tax relief for seniors and others. The problem is that many taxpayers aren’t aware of it.**
**By Glenn Ruffenach, The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 4, 2022**
**...**
**“There are hundreds of tax-relief programs in the U.S. for seniors, veterans, low-income families and others...”**
**Some of these certainly were new to me: a basic homestead exemption (for individuals, regardless of age or income, who own and reside in a home in the county); a “property assessment freeze” (to help offset future increases in assessed property values); exemptions for spouses of “peace officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty”; for disabled veterans (as well as their widows/widowers); for some individuals who are permanently disabled; and for residents when they reach specific ages: 62, 65 and 70. These age-related exemptions provide tax breaks above and beyond the homestead exemption. In some cases, the amount of property-tax relief is linked to, and/or limited by, applicants’ earnings. ...**
**So… where to find these exemptions? As I did, you can start online with your county tax office or tax assessor. The Lincoln Institute has a property-tax database—“Residential Property Tax Relief Programs”—that allows you to browse programs across the country. And AARP, the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group for older adults, offers a service called Property Tax-Aide, in which volunteers help individuals apply for property-tax relief. This free program is available in 13 states and the District of Columbia, and there are plans to expand....** </b? [end quote]
I think this is worth checking into.
Wendy (cross-posted to METAR Board)