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An Act To Provide Property Tax Deferral for Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 36 MRSA §5403, as repealed and replaced by PL 2013, c. 551, §4, is amended to read:
§ 5403.Annual adjustments for inflation
Beginning in 2015, and each calendar year thereafter, on or about September 15th, the assessor shall multiply the cost-of-living adjustment for taxable years beginning in the succeeding calendar year by the dollar amounts of the tax rate tables specified in section 5111, subsections 1-D, 2-D and 3-D and of the benefit base amounts in section 5219-KK, subsection 1, paragraph A. Beginning in 2013, and each calendar year thereafter, on or about September 15th, the assessor shall multiply the cost-of-living adjustment for taxable years beginning in the succeeding calendar year by the dollar amount of the itemized deduction limitation amount in section 5125, subsection 4. Beginning in 2016, and each calendar year thereafter, on or about September 15th, the assessor shall multiply the cost-of-living adjustment tor taxable years beginning in the succeeding calendar year by the dollar amount of the income limitation amount in section 6251, subsection 1, paragraph B. If the benefit base amounts, itemized deduction limitation amount, income limitation amount or the dollar amounts of each rate bracket, adjusted by application of the cost-of-living adjustment, are not multiples of $50, any increase must be rounded to the next lowest multiple of $50. If the cost-of-living adjustment for any taxable year would be less than the cost-of-living adjustment for the preceding calendar year, the cost-of-living adjustment is the same as for the preceding calendar year. The assessor shall incorporate such changes into the income tax forms, instructions and withholding tables for the taxable year.
Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §6251, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 1993, c. 395, §31, is amended to read:
 
1. Filing claim.   Subject to section 6252, an individual or 2 or more individuals jointly may elect to defer the property taxes on their homestead by filing a claim for deferral with the municipal assessor after January 1st but no later than April 1st of the first year in which deferral is claimed if:
 
A. The individual or eachat least one individual, in the case of 2 or more individuals filing a claim jointly, is 65 years of age or older or retired from gainful employment by reason of physical disability on April 1st of the year in which the claim is filed; and
 
B. The individual or, in the case of 2 or more individuals filing a claim jointly, all the individuals together have household income, as defined in section 62015219-KK, subsection 71, paragraph D, of less than $32,000$40,000 for the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the claim is filed.
 
The municipal assessor shall forward each claim filed under this subsection to the bureau within 30 days of receipt and the bureau shall determine if the property is eligible for deferral.
 
Claims from new applicants may not be filed pursuant to this chapter prior to January 1, 1994. For purposes of this section, "new applicants" means any person or persons that have not filed claims prior to April 1, 1991.
Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §6251, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 534, Pt. C, §1, is amended to read:
 
2. Property tax deferral.   When theIf a taxpayer electsis determined to be eligible to defer property taxes for any year by filing a claim for deferral under subsection 1, it shall havehas the effect of:
 
A. Deferring the payment of the property taxes levied on the homestead for the municipal fiscal year beginning on or after April 1st of that year;
 
B. Continuing deferral of the payment by the taxpayer of any property taxes deferred under this chapter for previous years that have not become delinquent under section 6260; and
 
C. Continuing the deferral of the payment by the taxpayer of any future property taxes for as long as the provisions of section 6252 are met.
Sec. 4. 36 MRSA §6253, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 534, Pt. C, §1, is amended to read:
§ 6253.Claim forms; contents
 
1. Administration.   A taxpayer's claim for deferral under this chapter shallmust be in writing on a form supplied by the bureau and shallmust:
 
A. Describe the homestead;
 
B. Recite factsProvide information establishing the eligibility for the deferral under the provisions of this chapter, including facts that establishinformation that establishes that the household income, as defined in section 62015219-KK, subsection 71, paragraph D, of the individual, or, in the case of 2 or more individuals claiming the deferral jointly, was less than $32,000$40,000 for the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the claim is filed; and
 
C. Have attachedContain any documentary proofinformation required by the bureau to show that the requirements of section 6252 have been met.
 
2. Statement verification.   There shall be annexed to theThe claim must contain a statement verified by a written declaration of the applicant making the claim to the effect that the statements contained in the claim are true.
Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §6261, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 534, Pt. C, §1, is amended to read:
 
A. The spouse of the taxpayer is or will be 6560 years of age or older not later than 6 months from the day the circumstance listed in section 6259, subsections 1 to 3 occurs; and
Sec. 6. 36 MRSA §6261, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 534, Pt. C, §1, is amended to read:
 
2. Continuation of deferral by spouse.   A spouse who does not meet the age requirements of subsection 1, paragraph A, but is otherwise qualified to continue the property in its tax-deferred status under subsection 1 may continue the deferral of property taxes deferred for previous years by filing a claim within the time and in the manner provided under section 6251. If a spouse eligible for and continuing the deferral of taxes previously deferred under this subsection becomes 6560 years of age prior to April 1st of any year, the spouse may elect to continue the deferral of previous years' taxes deferred under this subsection and may elect to defer the current assessment year's taxes on the homestead by filing a claim within the time and in the manner provided under section 6251. Thereafter, payment of the taxes levied on the homestead and deferred under this subsection and payment of taxes levied on the homestead in the current assessment year and in future years may be deferred in the manner provided in and subject to this chapter.
Sec. 7. 36 MRSA §6267, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 707, Pt. G, §10, is repealed.
 
SUMMARY
This bill reinstates the State's property tax deferral program, which was in effect for applications filed before April 1, 1991. The bill modifies the program to include households with at least one individual who is 65 years of age or older or who retired from gainful employment due to disability and to surviving spouses who are at least 60 years of age, and provides that household income must be less than $40,000. This limit is indexed for inflation in 2016 and annually thereafter.