Special Property Tax Refund (also called Targeting) - no income limit
You might be eligible if you are a homeowner, you owned your home on both January 2, 2008 and January 2, 2009 and the net property tax on your homestead increased by more than 12% and at least $100 from 2008 to 2009. The increase cannot be due to improvements to your home. This refund does not depend on your income.
Homeowner and Renter Property Tax Refund Programs
You may be eligible if you are a homeowner and have household income of $98,290 or less, or you are a renter and have a household income of $52,299 or less. Higher income limits apply if you have dependents or if you are a senior citizen or disabled. Your refund will depend on how high your property taxes or rent are relative to your income. The maximum refund for homeowners is $2,350, and the maximum refund for renters is $1,510.
You must also meet the following criteria
- You must be a full-year or part-year Minnesota Resident
- You cannot be a dependent
- If you are a homeowner, your property must be your homestead
- If you are a renter, you must live in a building on which property taxes are paid
- Relative homesteads do not qualify
Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral Program
The Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral Program allows property taxpayers who are 65 years or older to defer a portion of their homestead property taxes until a later time. In this program, the taxpayer pays only 3% of the preceding year’s household income as property tax, and the rest of the property tax is deferred. Taxpayers are still allowed to file for property tax refund and any other property refunds the state may offer, however the amount of any refunds will be applied to the deferred property tax amount.
In order to qualify for this program, all of the following criteria must be met:
- The property must be owned and occupied as a homestead by a person 65 years or older. If married, both must be at least 65 years old.
- Total household income must be $60,000 or less for the calendar year preceding the year of the initial application.
- The home must have been owned and occupied by one of the homeowners for at least 15 years before the initial application.
- There must be no state or federal tax liens or judgment liens on the property.
- The total unpaid balances of debts secured by mortgages and other liens on the property, including deferred tax and interest amounts under the program, unpaid and delinquent special assessments and property taxes, penalties and interest (but excluding the current year’s property taxes), do not exceed 75% of the assessor’s estimated market value for the current year.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A PROPERTY TAX REFUND
To apply for the refund, complete form M1PR. This form is available at public libraries and at other locations where state tax forms are distributed. It can also be found at the Minnesota Department of Revenue website.
HOW TO APPLY TO THE SENIOR CITIZENS PROPERTY TAX DEFERRAL PROGRAM
Applications are available in the county auditor’s office or may be obtained from the Minnesota Department of Revenue website.
Please contact the Department of Revenue at 651-296-3781. You can also check the status of your refund by calling 651-296-4444 or visit the Department of Revenue website and click on - Where is my property tax refund?