Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit Program

For purposes of qualifying under the Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit Program, applicants must report total income, which means the combined gross income before any deductions are taken.  Income information must be reported for the homeowner and spouse and all other occupants of the household unless they are dependents or they are paying rent or room and board. Income from all sources must be reported whether or not the monies received are included as income for Federal and State income tax purposes. Nontaxable retirement benefits such as Social Security and Railroad Retirement must be reported as income for the tax credit program. Generally, eligibility for the tax credit will be based upon all monies received in the applicant’s household in a given year.

To qualify for the Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit Program, the dwelling on which you are seeking the tax credit must be your principal residence where you live at least six months of the year, including July 1, unless you are a recent home purchaser or unless you are unable to do so because of your health or need of special care.

Before your eligibility according to income can be considered, you must meet four basic requirements

Your net worth, not including the value of the property on which you are seeking the credit or any qualified retirement savings or Individual Retirement Accounts, must be less than $200,000.
Your combined gross household income cannot exceed $60,000.

There is no age requirement to qualify for this program.

The tax credit is based upon the amount by which the property taxes exceed a percentage of your income according to the following formula: 0% of the first $8,000 of the combined household income; 4% of the next $4,000 of income; 6.5% of the next $4,000 of income; and 9% of all income above $16,000.

The chart below is printed in $1,000 increments to show you the specific tax limit for each income level.

2019 Household Income Tax Limit

* For each additional $1,000 of income above $30,000, you add $90 to $1,680 to find the tax limit. Your combined gross household income cannot exceed $60,000.

Example: If your combined household income is $16,000, you see from the chart that your tax limit is $420. You would be entitled to receive a credit for any taxes above the $420. If your actual property tax bill was $990, you would receive a tax credit in the amount of $570 — this being the difference between the actual tax bill and the tax limit.

A new application must be filed every year if the applicant wishes to be considered for a tax credit.

The Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit Program only applies to the taxes resulting from the first $300,000 of assessed valuation.
It does not cover any metropolitan or fixed charges for water and sewer services that may appear on the tax bill.
If an applicant owns a large tract of land, the credit will be limited to the lot or curtilage on which the dwelling stands and will not include the excess acreage.
If a portion of your dwelling is used for commercial or business purposes, the credit will be based only upon the taxes for that portion of the dwelling occupied by your own household.

Homeowners who file the Maryland form and qualify by April 15 will receive the credit directly on their tax bill. Persons who file later up until the October1 deadline will receive any credit due in the form of a revised tax bill. Applicants filing after April 15 are advised not to delay payment of the property tax bill until receipt of the credit if they wish to receive the discount for early payment offered in some subdivisions. A refund check will be issued by the local government if the tax bill was paid before the tax credit was granted.

Whenever homeowners are found not qualified to receive a tax credit, they are informed in writing. The letter gives the reason for denial and what steps to take if further questions remain. The letter also explains how homeowners can appeal the determination of ineligibility to the local Property Tax Assessments Appeals Board.

If you are not certain what the value of your home is or if you are curious how much equity you have in your home, call the Lise Howe Group to have us do a no obligation comparative market analysis or just click here!  You should find out what options you have in this market.  If you are eligible, you will love receiving the benefits from the Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit Program but you might love cashing in on the equity in your home even more.  We can be reached at 240-401-5577 or you can email us at lise@lisehowe.com.