Tax Assistance for Goshen Seniors

There are two types of assistance available to seniors:

1. Exemption applied to your property tax

2. Senior Circuit Breaker applied to State Income Tax

Exemptions for property tax

If order to apply for an exemption, you must be 70 or older. You need to be a town resident and own and occupy the property that is your domicile. Applications are available from the assessors and must be filed each year by March 31st. You must still pay your tax on time even if you are filing an application. There are several levels of exemptions depending upon your qualifications, but you can only receive one exemption under state law. If you qualify for more than one, you will receive the one that provides the greatest benefit. Please contact the assessor for other requirements: Gina Papineau, 268-8236 x302.

State Senior Circuit Breaker

As a senior citizen, you may be eligible to claim a refundable credit on your personal state income tax return. The Circuit Breaker tax credit is based on the actual real estate taxes paid on the Massachusetts residential property you own or rent and occupy as your principal residence. For tax year 2019, the maximum credit amount is $1,100. If the credit you're owed exceeds the amount of the total tax payable for the year, you'll be refunded the additional amount of the credit without interest. To be eligible, you must be a Massachusetts resident or part-year resident, be 65 or older by December 31. You must own or rent residential property in Massachusetts and occupy it as your primary residence, file a Massachusetts personal income tax return, and file a Schedule CB.

For tax year 2019, your total Massachusetts income doesn't exceed:

  • $58,000 for a single individual who is not the head of a household.
  • $73,000 for a head of household.
  • $88,000 for married couples filing a joint return.

If you are a homeowner, your Massachusetts property tax payments, together with half of your water and sewer expense, must exceed 10% of your total Massachusetts income for the tax year.

Posted: to Goshen News on Tue, Oct 22, 2019
Updated: Tue, Oct 22, 2019