Homestead, property tax credit forms available at county assessor's office

Brenda Dicus

The 2008 Homestead Preservation Credit and Missouri Property Tax Credit forms are currently available to those Dunklin County residents who are applicable.

According to Dunklin County Assessor, Brenda Dicus, the 2008 Homestead Preservation Credit forms must be completed and postmarked between April 1, 2008 and October 15, 2008. There are no provisions for late filing.

The Homestead Preservation Credit gives qualified senior citizens and 100 percent disabled individuals a credit on their real estate property tax if those taxes increase 2.5 percent in a non-reassessment year or 5 percent in a reassessment year.

The credit would be for the amount that exceeds the 2.5 or 5 percent increase in taxes. The act requires a legislative appropriation to fund the credit. If the funding is less than 100 percent, the credit will be a flat statewide percentage based on the appropriation amount.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, this credit will be applied against the taxes for the following year.

The 2008 application will be for the amount of increase in tax liability that exceeds 5 percent from 2006 to 2007.

Dicus said the Missouri Department of Revenue administers two real estate tax assistance programs. In addition to the Homestead Preservation Credit, there is also a Missouri Property Tax Credit.

"You can only receive one of the credits," Dicus explains. "People interested in claiming one of these credits should determine which tax credit program is more beneficial to them before they file for either credit."

The Missouri Property Tax Credit forms are also available at the local assessor's office.

The Missouri Property Tax Credit Claim gives credit to certain senior citizens and 100 percent disabled individuals for a portion of the real estate taxes or rent they have paid for the year. The credit is for a maximum of $750 and can only be claimed on the home they occupied during the period being claimed. The actual credit is based on the amount of real estate taxes or rent paid and total household income.

Individuals who are interested in seeing if they qualify for either credit can do so by logging onto the Missouri Department of Revenue Web site at www. dor.mo.gov, where they can find out specifics regarding credit eligibility, as well as an online qualification chart.

An added incentive in visiting the Department of Revenue Web site is that individuals can also access both the 2008 Homestead Preservation Credit and Missouri Property Tax Credit Claim forms and instructions for filling them out without leaving the comfort of their home. The forms are available in PDF format which make them easy to fill out and return.

Personal Tax contact information is also available there, which includes E-mail addresses, mailing addresses and phone numbers. There is also an online list of tax assistant centers available.

The Tax Assistance Centers provide regional access for taxpayers seeking contact with the Missouri Department of Revenue.

However, Dicus is also available locally for those in Dunklin County who wish to know more. She can be contacted by visiting the assessor's office which is located in room 102 of the Dunklin County Courthouse, or by calling (573) 888-1409.