Deadline extended for property tax relief targeted at elderly, disabled

BISMARCK — Elderly and disabled North Dakota homeowners now have two more months to apply for a discount on their 2024 property taxes.

The deadline for the Homestead Property Tax Credit — previously Thursday, Feb. 1 — is now March 31.

To be eligible for the credit, you must:

• be at least 65 years old in the year you’re applying for the credit on, or be permanently and totally disabled;
• make less than $70,000 annually; and
• own and live in the residential property on your application.

The size of the discount a qualifying applicant receives depends on their income.

Households with incomes of $40,000 a year or less are eligible to have 100% of their property taxes paid by the program, so long as the amount doesn’t exceed $9,000. Households that earn between $40,000 and $70,000 a year are eligible to have up to half of their property tax bills covered, not to exceed $4,500.

Before this year, the program was only available to homeowners with annual incomes of $42,000 or less. Lawmakers in 2023 changed that to $70,000.

They also axed a requirement that excluded households owning more than $500,000 in assets from applying for the credit.

“The extension of March 31, 2024, gives ample opportunity for eligible residents to apply for the credit and submit the completed form to their respective county or city,” Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus said in a statement Thursday. “The intent is to make the process more user-friendly from a timing standpoint and ensure households eligible to apply have the ability to take advantage of the program.”

To view a more detailed breakdown of the program requirements, visit the Office of State Tax Commissioner’s website.

The expanded program was part of an approximately $515 million cut to income and property taxes approved by the 2023 Legislature.

That package also included a $500 primary residence tax credit, which is available to most North Dakota homeowners. The deadline to apply for this credit is also March 31.

This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com