{"AmendmentNumber":"77","ParentBillNumber":"S2655","Bill":null,"Sponsor":{"Id":"BET0","Name":"Bruce E. Tarr","Type":1,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/LegislativeMembers/BET0","ResponseDate":"2025-10-22T15:36:11.767"},"Category":null,"Action":"Rejected","RollCall":[],"Title":"Modifying Requirements for Senior and Veterans Property Tax Benefits Requirements","Branch":"Senate","RedraftNumber":1,"IsFurther":false,"GeneralCourtNumber":194,"Text":"Mr. Tarr moves that the proposed new text be amended by inserting the following sections:- \r\n“SECTION __. Section 5 of Chapter 59, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following 2 clauses:-\r\n'Fifty-ninth. In any city or town that accepts this clause, a person whose domicile is owned by a trustee, conservator or other fiduciary for the person’s benefit shall be deemed the owner of the domicile for purposes of an exemption under any clause listed in the third paragraph of section 59 or a deferral under clause Eighteenth A or Forty-first A of this section and shall be granted the exemption provided the person is otherwise eligible under such clause.\r\nSixtieth. In a city or town that accepts this section and is certified by the commissioner to be assessing all property at full and fair cash valuation, an exemption granted pursuant to any clause specifically listed in the first paragraph of section 5 shall be increased annually by an amount not to exceed the increase in the cost of living as determined by the Consumer Price Index for such year. The department of revenue shall annually inform each city or town that accepts this clause of the amount of this increase.\r\nSECTION_. Clause Forty-first C of said section 5 of said chapter 59, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 1371, the words “by not more than 100 per cent” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- an amount to be determined locally.\r\nSECTION_. Said chapter 59, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after section 5O the following section:-\r\n\tSection 5P. (a) In a city or town that accepts this section, there shall be an exemption for income and age qualified domiciliary homeowners as provided herein. For the purposes of this section, “parcel” shall mean a unit of real property as defined by the board of assessors under the deed for the property and shall include condominium units. The exemption provided for herein shall be in addition to any other exemptions allowed by the General Laws.\r\n\t(b) With respect to each qualifying parcel of real property classified as class one, residential in the municipality, there shall be an exemption from the property tax in an amount to be set annually by the Board of Assessors of the municipality, or the Select Board, Town Council or City Council, to be decided by the legislative body at the time of adoption as provided in paragraph (d). The exemption shall be applied to the domicile of the taxpayer.\r\n\t(c) A parcel of real property shall qualify for the exemption under this section if each of the following criteria is met:\r\n\t(i) The qualifying real property is owned and occupied by a person whose income from the prior year would make the person eligible for the income tax credit allowed under subsection (k) of section 6 of chapter 62;\r\n\t(ii) The qualifying real property is owned by a single applicant age 65 or older as of July 1 of the applicable fiscal year or jointly by persons either of whom is age 65 or above as of July 1 of the applicable fiscal year and the joint applicant is 60 years of age or older;\r\n\t(iii) The qualifying real property is owned and occupied by the applicant or joint applicants as their domicile;\r\n\t(iv) The applicant or at least 1 of the joint applicants has been domiciled and owned a home in the municipality for at least 10 consecutive years before filing an application for the exemption;\r\n\t(v) The assessed value of the domicile is not greater than the prior year’s maximum assessed value for qualification for the income tax credit allowed under subsection (k) of section 6 of chapter 62, as adjusted annually by the commissioner of revenue;\r\n\t(vi) The total assets of the applicant do not exceed any asset limitations established by the chief executive officer under paragraph (e) to determine eligibility for this exemption; and\r\n\t(vi) The board of assessors has approved the application.\r\n\t(d) The Board of Assessors of the municipality, or the Select Board, Town Council or City Council, to be decided by the legislative body at the time of adoption shall annually determine the exemption amount, which shall not be more than 200 per cent of the maximum amount of the income tax credit allowed under subsection (k) of section 6 of chapter 62 for which the applicant qualified in the previous year.\r\n\t(e) The Board of Assessors of the municipality, or the Select Board, Town Council or City Council, to be decided by the legislative body at the time of adoption may establish limits on the total assets that may be owned by an applicant for purposes of eligibility.\r\n\t(f) A person who seeks to qualify for the exemption shall, on or before April 1 of the applicable tax year, or within 3 months after the bill or notice of assessment was sent, whichever is later, file an application, on a form to be adopted by the board of assessors, containing supporting documentation to demonstrate the applicant’s income and assets as described in the application. The application shall be filed each year for which the applicant seeks the exemption.\r\n\t(g) The total amount exempted by this section shall be allocated proportionally within the residential tax levy. No exemption shall be granted under this section until the commissioner of revenue certifies a residential tax rate for the applicable tax year.\r\n"}