Clarence Davis, AARP Maryland president, hopes low-income homeowners and renters will apply for a state tax credit by the Sept. 1 deadline. Last year, 51,000 homeowners received an average of $1,213. — Matt Roth
Alice Jones has lived in the same Baltimore house for more than 45 years. With Social Security as her only income, Jones can use some financial help.
She gets it from the Maryland Homeowners' Property Tax Credit Program, which limits the amount of property taxes a homeowner pays based on income.
The credit is called a "circuit breaker" because it turns off the property tax for low-income homeowners just like an electrical circuit breaker turns off power. The deadline to apply is Sept. 1.
For Jones, the circuit breaker means she pays $500 in property taxes each year — $1,300 less than the full bill.
"It helps me out a lot," said Jones, 71, who retired after working for 35 years at Westinghouse. But for almost 20 years after the tax credit was established in 1975, she knew nothing of its existence.
Then a neighbor, Clarence "Tiger" Davis, suggested she apply. At the time, Davis was a member of the House of Delegates; he became AARP Maryland state president in March.
Other eligible homeowners who are unaware of the credit often learn about it from AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers who help them complete state and federal income tax forms. Tax-Aide has a special focus on low-income people 60 and older.
"They're just the type of person eligible for the tax credit," said Jen Holz, AARP Maryland associate state director for outreach.
When it was established, the tax credit was limited to older homeowners. In 1978, the General Assembly expanded the eligibility to include all homeowners who meet income guidelines. Even so, 80 percent of the recipients last year were 60 or older.
"The aging population in Baltimore could not maintain their quality of life" without the tax credit, Davis said. "It makes a difference."
- To qualify, a taxpayer must:
- Own the property;
- Live there at least six months of the year (including July 1), although there are some exceptions;
- Have a net worth — not including the property — of less than $200,000;
- Have a combined gross household income of less than $60,000. To receive the tax credit, taxpayers must report their total income, which means income before any deductions are taken. This includes Social Security benefits or pensions.
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