From the Elkhart Truth:
Time is ticking for almost 12,900 people in Elkhart County who have yet to confirm their eligibility for a tax break on their homes.
County auditor Pauline Graff said about a quarter of homeowners who claim a homestead deduction have failed to verify information that could help them save big bucks on their taxes. The deduction covers up to 60 percent or $45,000, whichever is less, of a home’s assessed value. Homeowners who don’t turn in a homestead verification form by Dec. 31 risk losing the deduction, Graff said. Not verifying the deduction could mean a large increase in property taxes for homeowners because they would have to pay taxes on the full assessed value of their home.
The county has mailed pink homestead verification forms with tax bills for the past three years. And for some reason or another, Graff said, some homeowners have not filled the forms out.
“If they don’t start getting here soon, they may end up standing in a line for two hours or more,” she said. “There could start being lines that go down the hallway and down the stairs.”
The forms were created after legislation passed requiring taxpayers who receive a homestead deduction to verify their eligibility for the tax break. The idea was to allow county government to improve its management over homestead filings.
People who don’t verify their deduction by the end of this year must prove that their address is their primary residence and wait for a refund on their taxes next year, county property compliance manager Kim Miller said. For proof, the county accepts the last five digits of the homeowner’s Social Security number, the last five digits of his driver’s license and his Indiana tax return.
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http://www.etruth.com/article/20120923/NEWS01/709239937
