Occupancy-Based Tax Reductions Available
Homeowners Encouraged to Review Property Tax Information
Mahoning County, Ohio - Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham is reminding homeowners that they may be eligible for property tax reductions on the home they own and occupy.
"Taxpayers may not be aware of occupancy-based property tax credits available to them if they qualify," Auditor Meacham stated. The two occupancy-based credits available to taxpayers are the Owner Occupant Reduction and the Homestead Exemption.
The Owner Occupant Reduction is a tax credit homeowners are entitled to on their one principal place of residence, To receive the owner-occupancy homestead tax reduction, a homeowner must own and occupy their home as their principal place of residence (domicile) on Jan, 1 of the year they file for the reduction, A homeowner and spouse are entitled to this homestead tax reduction on only one home in Ohio, unless they can establish that they are domiciled separately. A person only has one principal place of residence. A principal place of residence determines, among other things, where a homeowner is registered to vote and where they declare residency for income tax purposes.
From January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, a homeowner may apply for a late Owner Occupant
Reduction if they owned and occupied their home as their principal place of residence on or before January 1, 2017 or a current Owner Occupant reduction if they owned and occupied their home as their principal place of residence on or before January l, 2018.
The Homestead Exemption allows eligible senior citizen, disabled and disabled veteran homeowners who own and occupy their home to shield a portion of their fair market value from property taxes if they meet the income requirements as set by the State of Ohio.
Auditor Meacham is also informing taxpayers that his staff is reviewing current ownership of parcels receiving occupancy based reductions. Property owners who do not qualify for the reduction will be removed from the program. Additionally, receiving either of these tax reductions in Mahoning County precludes homeowners from receiving occupancy-based reductions anywhere else.
Applications for the Owner Occupant Reduction and the Homestead Exemption are available on the Auditor's page of the Mahoning County website. Please select Auditor's Forms and print the appropriate application.
Auditor Meacham also encourages taxpayers to visit the Auditor's page on Mahoning County's website at www.mahoningcountyoh.gov for information on the reappraisal, tax rates, reductions and much more.