To all MD home owners - please read. IMPORTANT.

[Hannibal]

This just got sent to me by my folks (they are not of the old and senile age yet) and being very business savy people - I take their instruction seriously.

I did some research myself and it's legit. Some people I've talked to got the form in the mail with the property tax information - MANY others did not.

Basically, it looks like MD is trying to be a touch shady by not annoucning their tax assesment credit for your property. More or less, no action means "you didn't care" and it could cause your rates to increase.

Here is the link to the form itself. It is part of the Maryland State Department of Assesment and Taxation site.

https://sdathtc.resiusa.org/homestead/

This for MUST be MAILED in by Feb. 12th.

Just giving you all the heads up in case you didn't see it yet.

[cygnus-x1]

Hannibal. According to a co-worker this was supposedly going to be mailed out over the course of 3 years. 1/3 this year, 1/3 the next and so on. However I do not trust the State for anything and I will fill it out.

I would also recommend to everyone to use registered mail.

[Hannibal]

Cyg - I don't mean to create any confusion as I am very niave to the whole tax game ("I have people"- lol). I just figured it was worth it to put it out and if it applies to you - then great. If not, no worries. I just didn't want anyone to be "dooped".

From my understanding, your property gets taxes every three years so it corollates to that year I believe. However, many people who have been assesed this year have not seen it or have easily looked over it and not done anything.

I also understand that even in filing it out - if it doesnt apply to you this year, there is no harm. To me, you are just covering your basis.

[BubbaBlue]

Yeah, I thought they sent this out with the last assessment notice but I can't remember if I filled it out or not. Sent it in again 10 minutes ago.

Thanks for the heads up. :)

.

[cygnus-x1]

Cyg - I don't mean to create any confusion as I am very niave to the whole tax game ("I have people"- lol). I just figured it was worth it to put it out and if it applies to you - then great. If not, no worries. I just didn't want anyone to be "dooped".

From my understanding, your property gets taxes every three years so it corollates to that year I believe. However, many people who have been assesed this year have not seen it or have easily looked over it and not done anything.

I also understand that even in filing it out - if it doesnt apply to you this year, there is no harm. To me, you are just covering your basis.

No confusion Hanibal and I thank you for your post. I would not doubt that MD did this underhandedly anyway to cause confusion.

I mean seriously, what kind fo CRAP is this? They know where we live, we pay the taxes and they charge us the property taxes. I think it would easier for them to look at their own data and figure it out instead of wasting more tax dollars with the whole homestead paperwork and then the people to manage it etc. The whole is trying to catch people who are so busy they over look it. Those same people who are busy working trying to stay afloat.

[TonyTon]

Hannibal, Thanyou for the in put I fill it up right after I read your post

[saltandsand]

Some clarification on the issue...no I do not work for the State and am not providing advice...just opinion.

The application is needed because too many people, greedy and irresponsible people, were getting credits on non-primary residences. These people were taking credits on investment and vacation property, they were not allowed to take this credit. I wonder if the State will spend time to chase the money that is owed from thiese so-called citizens (IMO...you're not a citizen unless you pay for the costs of citizenship...and the costs become unfair when they spend too much for non-citizens or I have to pay more because somebody cheats on their obligation to pay taxes.)

In order to ensure that the credit is properly applied the application is needed. These applications will be sent to taxpayers based upon the date of their scheduled re-assessment which occurs for 1/3 of the real properties each year. If your re-assessment does not occur in 2008 then you will be notified in 2009 or 2010.

The credit applies to prospective assessment increases. If you are not being re-assessed then completing the form is not needed at that time, but it won't hurt. But I'd save a copy just in case someone down at the tax office has mis-filed it because you applied early.

Essentially this is needed because the local tax jurisdictions have been loosing revenue to those who find fit to let the county improperly assume that a real property is a primary property. Just one more example of where the responsible citizen is inconvienced and possibly slighted by the acts of the greedy and irresponsible.

The credit will apply where local jurisdictions have a rate of taxation that is lower than the limits already in place by the State-wide homestead exemption. In some instances the application will not provide a credit because a credit does not apply (i.e., the local tax rates apply to a permited assessment base that is the same as allowed by state-wide assessment caps.)

Since the State does not have a basis to link Social Security Numbers directly to real property ownership, the application is needed. Since the Federal government is tightening controls over Social Security Numbers the SSN is being used as a primary linking number to control the personal identification of property and the appliability of the credits.

I haven't read the entire law. I will say that my view is that it won't stop people from splitting property (one spouse claims one property and the other spouse claims another, or splitting between children, etc.) I wonder if the state will be edit checking on SSNs to names, DOBs, etc.? Although this is a move in the proper direction to ensure that the louses who don't pay their fair share of taxes do in fact pay a fair share, like anything else there are those unfortunate cheats that will find a way around the controls.

Like I said, filing the form early won't hurt but it won't get any benefit that some are saying the State is trying to cheat them out of. The application will be sent in a later year, when appropriate, along with your re-assessment notice.

(Now I wonder how I can square someone who trusts DNR's word as gospil but thinks the rest of the State is up to nothing more than chicanery??)