Deadlines approaching for property tax deferral program
SALEM, Ore.—Applications for the state's Property Tax Deferral for Senior and Disabled Citizens program are due by April 15 to the county assessor's office for the county in which the property is located.
The deferral program allows eligible senior citizens and people with disabilities to have the state pay property taxes on their behalf until they move, sell their home, or die. A lien is placed on their home, and all taxes, interest, and fees must be repaid before the lien is removed. Oregon's deferral program has approximately 6,200 active participants.
To qualify for deferral, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
• Be either:
o At least 62 years old, or
o A disabled citizen receiving or eligible to receive federal Social Security disability benefits.
• Own or be in the process of buying the property.
• Have a recorded deed or sales contract in their name, or have a revocable trust.
• Have lived on the property for at least five years.
• Carry homeowners insurance.
• Have a household income of less than $43,000. This includes all taxable and non-taxable income for the applicant(s) and spouse(s).
• Have a net worth of $500,000 or less, not including the value of the home in the program or personal property.
• Either have no reverse mortgage, or, if they have a reverse mortgage, they need to have been in the deferral program prior to 2011.
Applications are available at www.oregon.gov/dor/deferral
For those already participating in the program, eligibility recertification is every two years. Forms were sent in February to those who need to recertify this year, and those forms need to be returned to the department by April 11. If participants miss the deadline, their account will be placed in inactive status and they'll have to reapply before future property taxes can be deferred.
For more information, call (503) 945-8348 or send an email to deferral.unit@oregon.gov.
Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments; or call (800) 356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); (503) 378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or email, questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call (800) 886-7204.
Media contact:
Joy Krawczyk, Public Information Officer
(503) 945-7796
joy.krawczyk@oregon.gov
