April 29, 2021 — You might qualify to have your property taxes deferred under a change to state law. It increases income limits and expands who can apply for Idaho’s Property Tax Deferral program, which lets you postpone paying taxes on your home and up to an acre of land.
To qualify for the program, you must have been in one of the following categories by January 1, 2021:
Age 65 or older
Widow(er)
Blind
Fatherless or motherless child under 18 years old
Former prisoner of war
Recognized as disabled by one of the following:
o The Social Security Administration
o The Railroad Retirement Board
o The Federal Civil Service
o The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
o A public employee retirement system not covered by the above agencies. (Idaho’s PERSI is covered by Social Security.)
The program also requires that you had no more than $50,000 in total income in 2020. Additionally, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident and own and live in your home by April 14, 2021. Qualified properties now include those that are part of a trust or life estate.
The law change ties the interest rate on the deferred taxes to the yearly interest rate for unpaid income taxes. That rate is 2% for 2021.
You can get an application for property tax deferral from your county assessor. File the application with the county assessor by Monday, May 17, 2021.
For more information:
Contact any county assessor’s office in Idaho
Call the Tax Commission at (208) 334 7736 in the Boise area or toll free at (800) 334-7756
Visit the Tax Commission’s Property Tax Deferral webpage
