Guilford's Elderly Tax Relief Program Saves Residents Nearly $1M

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

GUILFORD, CT – 819 participants took advantage of the town’s elderly tax relief program this past year, realizing and aggregate benefit of $989,293, according to a report recently given on the program to the Board of Finance.

The finance board has set the cap on the program the past few years at $1.35 million, but since less than $1 million was spent in the past fiscal year, the board unanimously voted at its most recent meeting to set next year’s cap at $1.1 million.

The elderly tax relief program is available to qualifying taxpayers and their spouse who own real property in town as their principal residence, and who are 65 years of age or older. The program ends on the date the property is sold or transferred.

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Those who want to find out if they qualify for the program, which is income and asset based, should check with the Assessors Office.

Filing for this program begins in the Assessors Office on Feb. 1 and continues through May 15.

The program in Guilford has a cap amount benefit town wide that's set each year by the Board of Finance.

It cannot be less than half of one percent of the prior year's budget, to ensure that everyone who is in the program from year to year can remain in the program and continue to get the tax relief.