Get Help with Property Taxes
Maine Property Tax and Rent Refund Program
aka the “Circuit Breaker” program
Renters and homeowners can get up to $2,000 back in property tax relief!
Here how to do this.
The Maine Property Tax and Rent Refund Program can give you a refund of up to $2,000.
(This program is also known as the “Circuit Breaker” program.) The program is for both renters and
for homeowners. Refunds are now available!
To get a refund, you must have:
- Owned or rented a home in Maine for all of 2005. You must have lived in the home or the apartment
for at least 6 months in 2005. Maine must be your legal state of residence; and
- In 2005 had a household income of $77,000 or less for an individual, or $102,000 or less if you
lived with a spouse or dependent.
If you are a homeowner, you may get a property tax refund if your 2005 property tax bill is more
than 4% of your income.
If you are a renter, you may get a refund if your rent was more than 20% of your income in 2005.
You have until May 31, 2007 to apply for a rent or tax refund. You can get an application from your
town or city. You can also get a form from the Maine Revenue Services at 624-7894,
download an application,
or apply online.
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About 225,000 Maine households could potentially qualify for the Circuit Breaker program, which
delivers an average rebate of $443. But in the last round (August 2005 to May 2006), only 92,000
households successfully applied for rebates. The state sent a total of $43 million back to those
people.
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Help for All Residents! Maine’s Homestead Exemption
Residents who have owned a home in Maine for at least 12 months and use it as their permanent place
of residence can get a $13,000 exemption off the value of their home.
You can get a Homestead Exemption application from your town or city, or
get an
application
online. Submit the application to your local tax assessor’s office. You must apply by April 1st of the year in
which the exemption is first requested. You apply only once. If you move or if the property changes
ownership, you need to apply again. To make sure you are getting the exemption, check your property
tax bill or call your town or city office.
More information on Homestead exemption
Tax Abatements from Your Town or City
If you can’t pay for your basic living expenses and pay your property taxes too, then you
might be able to get an “abatement.” This means that your town or city could decide that you don’t
have to pay some or all of your property taxes.
To apply for an abatement you will need to fill out an application form at your town office. Make
sure that the form is for a “poverty” abatement.
If they don’t have a form, you can get one from
Pine Tree Legal Assistance,
which has offices in Presque Isle, Machias, Bangor, Augusta, Lewiston and Portland.
If you are turned down, you can appeal.
To appeal, call your
local office of Pine Tree Legal Assistance.
If you are 60 or over, call Legal Services for the Elderly
at 1-800-750-5353.
Tax Abatements for People Who Are Blind and for Some Veterans
With Disabilities
If you are blind or a disabled veteran, you may also be able to get your property taxes lowered.
You can check with your town or city.
More information from
Maine Revenue Services
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