Property Tax Relief Deadline April 16, 2023

Did you know Needham residents who are elderly or disabled may apply to receive a grant towards their property tax if they meet the eligibility requirements? The Application Deadline is April 16, 2023.

From the Town of Needham website:

Eligibility Requirements

This fund has been established to provide taxation assistance for the elderly and disabled citizens who are homeowners with limited income and assets. All applicants should first consider all available exemption programs offered by the Town that are currently in place, such as: Clause 17D, Clause 37A, Clause 22, Clause 41C, Clause 41A, and Clause 18, as well as the Massachusetts Senior Circuit Breaker program. The eligibility criteria for application submission are:

• Elderly is defined as a person who is at least 60 years of age on or before the July 1^st starting date of the fiscal year for which the application is made.
• Disabled is defined as a person who has been determined to be incapacitated from working by a recognized source such as Social Security, the U.S. Military, workers compensation, or a retirement board.
• Applicant must be the titled owner of the property or hold a life estate in the property. If title is held by a trust, the applicant must be both a trustee and a 50% beneficiary of the trust in order to qualify. These conditions apply to elderly or disabled applicants.
• Applicant must have resided in the Town and occupied the taxed property for five complete calendar years prior to the grant submission deadline.
• Gross Income from all sources includes: Wages, salaries, bonuses, public and private pensions, retirement income, Social Security payments, alimony, child support, interest and dividend income, net income from businesses, public assistance, disability payments, unemployment, regular compensation and /or regular and recurring gifts from parties outside the household. Gross income may not exceed:
  • A. Single person – $60,000
  • B. Couple – $74,000
• Available assets, including stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, IRA’s, annuities, and any tangible liquid asset, will be considered in determining eligibility and grant aid amount.
• Extraordinary circumstances (including, but not limited to, extraordinary medical expenses or other onetime expenses) will be considered in the Committees’ deliberations and the decision process.  This will provide the Committees with flexibility to address unforeseen situations.

Residents who qualify can pick up applications from the Town Assessor’s Office, Town Treasurer’s Office, or Council of Aging.