As discussions around potential property tax increases heat up, many homeowners in Chattanooga and Hamilton County may be eligible for existing relief programs–including options for seniors, disabled, and individuals with permanent disabilities.
As news headlines include requests for a property tax increase by Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, and debate continues with the Hamilton County Commission about Commissioner David Sharp’s proposal to implement a senior property tax freeze at the county level, a question may go unanswered. What property tax relief is available right now?
Well, the answers are available, and it’s not just seniors who have access to property tax relief through annual qualifying at the City, County, and State level.
First, Chattanooga passed a tax freeze for seniors in September 2017. All Chattanooga seniors who own a primary residence with incomes less than $48,250 annually are eligible to submit applications each year online at https://chattanooga.gov/pay-and-apply/permits-applications/property-tax-freeze, or receive information by calling the Office of the City Treasurer at (423) 643-7274.
There is no similar local senior tax freeze for primary residences in the unincorporated areas of Hamilton County or the other individual municipalities, such as Red Bank, East Ridge, Soddy Daisy, etc.
At the State level, however, home-owning seniors without regard to any city limits or municipality have access to a relief program through the Office of the Comptroller of Tennessee. Applicants must be 65 years of age or older, own your home and use it as the primary residence, with a total annual income of no more than $37,530.
In the Volunteer State, seniors are not the only group of homeowners who may qualify for property tax relief. Disabled Veterans, widows/widowers of disabled Veterans, and any homeowner whose disability is total and permanent are encouraged to apply for the program structured as a reimbursement of the calculated relief based on a fair market value cap. These three funding programs do not use age as a criterion and are available to those who qualify to homeowners throughout the state, in cities and rural areas.
The State property tax relief programs are accessed through the Hamilton County Trustees’ Office locally at both the Georgia Avenue Courthouse and services office on Bonnie Oaks Drive. Information is available online at https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Trustee.
Chattanooga City government is debating a tax increase to cover wages for the City’s First Responders. The State of Tennessee, which sets each county’s tax rate based on the previous assessment window’s revenue adjusted using the most recent property assessment values, has set the tax rate of 1.55 in Hamilton County. Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly proposes using a tax rate of 1.99, an increase that would generate about $50 million and increase property taxpayers’ burden more than $400 more annually.
City homeowners, now’s a good time to see if you qualify for property tax relief!