Bill > S1611

This bill proposes to amend Chapter 59 of the General Laws to allow cities and towns to establish a property tax freeze program for senior citizens. Under this program, eligible residents who are 65 years or older and have owned their principal residence in the city or town for at least 15 years can apply annually to freeze their property tax amount to what it was in the first year they qualified. The program can be established by the board of selectmen in towns, or by the town council or mayor with city council approval in cities. Eligibility requires being 65 by the end of the application year, owning and using the property as a principal residence for the entire year the freeze is sought, and having owned it for at least 15 years. If improvements are made to the residence that increase its assessed value, the tax rate at the time of assessment will apply to those improvements, and the additional tax will be added to the frozen amount. The Department of Revenue will create a standard application form, and local tax collectors will determine eligibility. This program does not prevent eligible individuals from receiving other available tax relief.