Property Tax Deferral Program Administration

Joint Budget Committee. The state has a property tax deferral program (program) under which the state makes a secured loan to a qualified taxpayer to pay property taxes owed for the taxpayer's homestead. The program was available only to seniors and persons called into active military service until 2021, when the general assembly expanded the program to also allow an otherwise nonqualifying taxpayer whose property tax had increased by at least a specified percentage (new qualified taxpayer) to participate. In 2022, the general assembly shifted much of the responsibility for the administration of the program from the county treasurers to the state treasurer.

The bill reverses the 2022 shift of administrative responsibilities for the program so that county treasurers will generally have the same responsibilities for administering the program as they did prior to 2022. The bill also specifies that a new qualified taxpayer may only claim deferral of property taxes levied for a property tax year commencing on or after January 1, 2025, if the board of county commissioners of the county in which the taxpayer's homestead is located has, after receiving input from the county treasurer of that county, adopted a resolution requiring the county treasurer to accept applications for such deferral claims.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)