EAST WINDSOR, CT — East Windsor homeowners have until Dec. 15 to apply for a new property tax exemption that removes 15 percent of their eligible home and building lot's assessed value from taxation.
The town assessor's office says the program takes effect with the Oct. 1, 2026, Grand List, the annual list of taxable property. Homeowners must have established permanent residency in East Windsor by that date.
The exemption lowers the value used to calculate a qualifying property's tax bill. It does not guarantee that the bill will be 15 percent lower than the previous year's, because the tax rate and other factors can change.
Connecticut generally assesses property at 70 percent of its fair market value. The exemption is applied to the eligible assessed value.
For example, a qualifying home and building lot valued at $400,000 would have an assessed value of $280,000. A 15 percent exemption would remove $42,000, leaving $238,000 subject to taxation before any other applicable exemptions.
At a hypothetical tax rate of 30 mills — $30 for each $1,000 of taxable assessed value — that would mean $1,260 less in annual taxes than the same property would owe at that rate without the exemption.
That is an illustration, not an estimate of East Windsor's future tax rate or any particular homeowner's savings. The calculation is the exempted assessed value multiplied by the applicable mill rate, divided by 1,000.
In its frequently asked questions, the town says the program is intended to "provide meaningful property tax relief to homeowners" and help offset increases in residential property taxes.
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The program covers qualifying owner-occupied single-family homes, two-family homes, condominiums and manufactured housing assessed as real property. The home must be the owner's principal residence.
Second homes, seasonal residences, vacant land, commercial properties and homes rented out in full do not qualify. An owner who lives in one unit of a two-family home may qualify, subject to town policy and state law.
The town's published eligibility rules do not list an age or income limit. Owners with questions about trusts, shared ownership or temporary absences should ask the assessor about their circumstances.
Homeowners must submit the two-page application to the assessor's office by Dec. 15, 2026, with at least two documents verifying East Windsor residency.
The application lists a Connecticut driver's license or identification card, vehicle registration, voter registration, tax-return addresses, bank statements and utility bills among the records used to verify residency. Applicants must sign the form; the assessor may request more information.
Once approved, homeowners generally do not need to apply every year. The town's administration policy requires owners to notify the assessor within 30 days of a sale, move, conversion to rental use or another change affecting eligibility. The office may request updated documentation.
Questions can be directed to the assessor's office at 860-623-8878 or at Town Hall, 11 Rye St., Broad Brook.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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