Newtown Tax Relief For Seniors

Carol Mahoney, tax collector of Newtown, has announced that applications for tax relief for seniors are due by May 15. Applications will be accepted at the Senior Center, on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook, on Mondays, March 13 and 27, and April 3 and 10, between 2 and 4 pm.

Senior citizens unable to attend any of these dates at the senior center may apply at the tax collector’s office, within Edmond Town Hall.

éThe taxpayer or spouse must be at least 65 years of age or older as of July 1, 2006, or the spouse of the taxpayer who would have been qualified at the time of death must be over the age of 60;

éThe 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;

éThe 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;

éIncome from all sources including social security must not exceed $50,000 for the $825 credit or $40,000 for the $1,385 credit;

éDelinquent taxes must be paid in full before qualifying for this benefit;

éAfter 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; and

éThe tax credit on real 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 2005 tax year, if they are required to file one and also a copy of their social security benefits statement for 2005 and all other 1099s from interest, annuities, pensions, and any other sources of income.

If anyone has any questions, call the tax office at 270-4320, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Those who need to reapply this year should have already received a mailing. Anyone who applied last year does not need to reapply again unless three has been a change in income.