House Approves Local Option Property Tax Exemption For Seniors

A release from House Minority Leader Brad Jones:

BOSTON – The House of Representatives has given preliminary approval to legislation allowing cities and
towns to establish a means-tested property tax exemption for senior citizens.

House Bill 4001 was engrossed by the House on a unanimous vote of 150-0 on July 30, with the support of
House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), who sponsored an earlier version of the bill
that was redrafted by the Joint Committee on Revenue. It is modeled after similar tax relief programs that have received prior legislative approval in communities such as Reading, Sudbury and Wayland.

“This bill will allow many seniors to remain in their homes and continue to live in the same community where
they have raised their families,” said Representative Jones. “This approach has proven to be successful in a
handful of communities, and this bill will ensure that the same option is available to all 351 cities and towns,
including Lynnfield.”

Under the local option proposal, communities can offer property tax relief to qualifying seniors, based in part on the amount of the tax credit they were eligible to receive the year prior under the state’s Senior Circuit Breaker program. The actual amount of the tax exemption would be set annually by the local governing body.

House Bill 4001 sets specific guidelines applicants must meet to qualify for a tax exemption. Participation is
limited to homeowners who are 65 or older, and have resided in the community for at least 10 consecutive
years. If a tax exemption request is filed jointly, the second applicant must be 60 or older, and at least one of
the applicants must meet the minimum residency requirement of 10 consecutive years.

Seniors must file annually to receive the exemption, which is subject to approval by the local Board of
Assessors. The Board can deny an exemption if it determines the applicant has excessive assets. House Bill 4001 also contains provisions sun-setting the property tax exemption program after three years. Communities that adopt the local option would be required to vote at three-year intervals to reauthorize the program.

House Bill 4001 now heads to the Senate for further action.