New seniors bill passes; property tax exemption income levels increase

As part of the State Legislature’s budget, the senior property tax exemption law was changed. The modified law raises the income levels for seniors by $5,000 for taxes due in 2016. The new levels are $30,000 and below, $30,001 to $35,000 and $35,001 to $40,000.

If you are already in the Senior Exemption Program, you don’t have to do anything or contact the County Assessor’s Office.

If you will be 61 years of age or older on December 31, 2015, and make less than $40,000 adjusted gross income, please bring in your 2014 proof of income to the Assessor’s office. We would like to get as many people as possible signed up before the 2016 tax levies are calculated.

Bill not retroactive

The bill is not retroactive. The income requirements are for tax year 2016 and forward. Also remember that if your situation changes (your income changes, you move, you have to take money from an IRA etc.) you may no longer qualify for the program and need to notify us immediately.

We don’t calculate levies until December, but a cursory examination seems to indicate that this bill will lower taxes for those that qualify but raise taxes on those of us that don’t and possibly cut money going to Fire districts, EMS districts and hospital regular levies, depending on levy limitations for the districts.

Revaluation notices

We will soon be mailing out revaluation notices. Since state law says that we only have to mail to those parcels which have changes, we won’t be mailing to those that don’t in order to save money. Persons whose property has not changed in value will still have 30 days from the date of the mailings to appeal their value if they want. The appeal date will be listed on the county website after we mail.

Our office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at our main office in the courthouse in South Bend and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday at our office at the South County building at 7013 Sandridge Road.

If you have any questions about this or any other property tax issues, or see a correction needed on our Taxsifter or Mapsifter sites, please contact us at 875-9301, 642-9301, 484-7301 or 267-8301.