Newtown Tax Relief For The Elderly

Newtown Tax Collector Carol Mahoney has announced that applications for tax relief for the elderly are due by May 15. Applications will be accepted at the Newtown Senior Center located on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook on the following days: Tuesday, April 15, from 1 to 4 pm; and on Tuesday, April 29, from 9 am until noon and 1 to 4 pm.

To qualify for this benefit, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

The taxpayer or spouse must be at least 65 years of age or older as of July 1, 2003, or the spouse of a taxpayer who would have been qualified at the time of death must be over the age of 60.

The applicant must have resided in and paid real estate taxes on a residence located in the Town of Newtown for at least one year prior to this application.

The property for which the taxpayer is claiming tax relief must be his or her legal domicile and occupied by that person for more than 183 days each year.

Income from all sources including social security must not exceed $55,000 for the $636 credit or $35,000 for the $1,075 credit.

Delinquent taxes must be paid in full before qualifying for this benefit.

After considering state benefits granted, the person has to be paying 25 percent of his or her normal tax in order to receive the full benefit.

The tax credit on real estate property shall apply to the residence itself and the lot on which the residence is located, not to extra acreage owned.

Applicants are required to include a copy of their federal income tax return for the 2001 tax year, if they are required to file one, and also a copy of their society security benefits statement for 2002 and all other 1099s from interest, annuities, pensions, and any other sources of income.

Persons who have questions should call the tax collector’s office at 270-4320 on Monday through Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Persons who applied last year do not need to reapply this year.