Low-income senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans, with 2019 annual incomes below $58,423 may be eligible for property tax relief in 2020 under guidelines published Wednesday by the state Department of Revenue.
The previous threshold had been $40,000. Applications for the expanded programs will be available in January 2020.
The change is the result of passage of ESSB 5160, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, during the 2019 legislative session. The bill significantly expands the number of people eligible for the existing property tax exemption and deferral programs by replacing the statewide $40,000 threshold with an income level equal to 65 percent of the county median income. In King County that threshold is $58,423.
“This legislation is literally going to help people stay in their homes,” said King County Assessor John Wilson in a news release. “Beginning with next year’s taxes, tens of thousands of our neighbors will get the help they need.”
The assessor’s website includes the latest information on implementation of these programs at kingcounty.gov/depts/assessor/TaxRelief.aspx.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
