Who exactly qualifies for the Missouri property tax freeze? Your questions, answered

Following a contentious property assessment season in 2023, some Missourians now have the chance to freeze the property taxes they pay on their primary residence.

The program is administered at the county level, and Jackson County is accepting applications now through Dec. 31. But The Star heard from multiple readers who had more questions about how the program will be implemented and who is eligible.

We reached out to county officials to get the answers to your questions. Still wondering about the program? Let the Service Journalism team know by emailing kcq@kcstar.com.

Have other counties in the KC area adopted the senior property tax freeze?

Jackson County’s recent rollout of a property tax freeze for seniors is the result of a Missouri law passed last year authorizing individual counties to adopt such a program.

Clay and Platte counties have also chosen to adopt the measure, but their rollouts look a little different than Jackson County’s.

Clay County will open applications for the program in January 2025, and residents will have until March to apply. If accepted, homeowners would see their property taxes frozen at the 2024 tax amount for as long as they qualify for the program.

“2024 will be the base year where it will be frozen and they’ll see that freeze occur on their 2025 tax bills, because that’s an assessment year when (home values) could go up,” Clay County administrator Dianna Wright told The Star.

In Platte County, applications will open on Sept. 1, 2024, and remain open until May 15, 2025. If accepted, eligible seniors will see their property taxes frozen at the 2024 amount.

Since the program stems from a Missouri law, Johnson and Wyandotte counties don’t qualify. However, Kansas has a program called SAFESR that issues property tax refunds to low-income seniors. You can learn more about it on the state Department of Revenue’s website.

If my eligible home’s value rises above $550,000, do I have to start paying taxes again?

In Jackson County, anyone whose home is assessed at a value of $550,000 or above is no longer eligible for the property tax freeze. That could pose a problem for those who disagree with their high home valuation, as many homeowners did last year.

“Per Ordinance 5787 passed by the County Legislature, the market value of the property must be less than $550,000 to be eligible for the program,” county spokesperson Marshanna Smith told The Star.

“Once a taxpayer’s property value is over $550,000, the taxpayer’s application would be denied for the current tax year and the full tax amount would be due by Dec. 31.”

This limit isn’t present in state law, meaning that your home’s value may not disqualify you from the program if you live in other Missouri counties. Check your county’s implementation plans to see whether the value of your home impacts your eligibility.

Does the property tax freeze also apply to people with disabilities?

The state law establishing the property tax freeze specifies that participants must be eligible for “Social Security retirement benefits,” Smith said. That means that disabled people who receive Social Security but are under the eligible retirement age — usually 62 — don’t automatically qualify for the program.

However, some Missouri counties have modified their eligibility requirements for the program to include more people on fixed incomes. Check your county’s implementation plans to see whether they include people with disabilities.

Does this program cover retirees who do not qualify for Social Security?

The exact eligibility requirements for the property tax freeze vary by county.

For example, Clay County homeowners are eligible for the property tax freeze when they turn 62, regardless of whether they are eligible for Social Security. This includes federal government employees and other pension beneficiaries like teachers.

“We made (the program) based on age and not whether they’re Social Security eligible, because we did not want to exclude our teachers and other individuals that may not be receiving Social Security,” Wright said.

Platte County considered a county measure that would have expanded eligibility to all residents over age 62, but ultimately decided to require that they be at least 62 years old and eligible for Social Security retirement benefits in order to apply. Jackson County also does not make an exception for teachers or federal government workers.

Are there any income requirements to participate in the tax freeze program?

There are no income requirements to qualify for the senior property tax freeze program at the state level. Jackson, Clay and Platte counties have not introduced any income requirements on their county-level implementations.

However, counties are able to modify their eligibility requirements in their own implementations of the program. To be sure you qualify, check your county’s plans for the program.

Do you have more questions about the new Missouri property tax freeze program? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.