Many of you in Maryland have just received an envelope in the mail from the Director of the State of Maryland's Department of Assessments and Taxation. Every property owner in the state got or will get one, informing him or her of the state's most recent reckoning of the dollar value of each property. Properties are periodically reevaluated by the state and the information made known to municipal and county governments. These governments base changes in their property taxation rates according to the new dollar assessments provided by the state. County and municipal corporations will present their new property tax rates at public hearings in the spring. Tax bills will be issued in July or August.
Here's why you shouldn't throw this letter away without reading it:
Many owner-occupied properties in Maryland receive or are eligible to receive the Homestead Tax Credit. The HTC limits the assessment value on which your county and municipal real estate taxes are based, and can provide a significant reduction in how much tax is due. This reduction can mean hundreds if not thousands of dollars in county and city or town property tax savings for each qualifying homeowner.
Interested in being, or already a recipient of the HTC?
Interested in being, or already a recipient of the HTC?
A one-time application is now required to continue or to begin receiving the Homestead Tax Credit.
The application form, which takes about 3 minutes to fill out, is included with the letter. Also included is a stamped return envelope, an increasingly rare government gesture that makes life just a little bit easier.
For more information, go to http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/homestead.html
5 comments:
of course all this does is decrease the incoming revenue to the towns, counties, and state and therefore their operating budgets and capital budgets will be affected to the point they either cut the hell out of the services or (surprise, surprise) raise taxes. Since 2010 is a major election year, you will not find any political candidate or incumbent suggesting the raising of taxes. More of the "cut the fat" that comes from the citizenry. Unfortunately, most of the "fat" has already been cut and they are not only into the "meat" of some departments but the "bones" as well.
Yeah, at first glance, having a lower assessment, thus a lower tax bill, seems to be a "good thing" but in the long run, it won't be. I feel 2010 is going to be a lot worse than 2009.
Don't bother with filling out the paper form and mailing it. That could take days for them to get it into their system, it could get lost, etc.
Instead, do it online (the web site URL is in the letter).
I did it the night I got the letter -- took me all of 5 minutes. I got a confirmation email back within 30 seconds. Done.
You can also file an assessment appeal if you know your property is over-assessed.
http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/appeal.html
I agree, just fill it out on-line. Much quicker and far less human error factor.
Every single homeowner should requst an assessment appeal and clog their stupid government slug run system!
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