MEMORANDUM
TO: County Auditors
FROM: Brian E. Bailey, Commissioner
RE: Homestead Verification On-Line Filing Errors
DATE: January 7, 2013
The purpose of this memorandum is to inform county auditors that SRI, Inc. (SRI) collected many homestead verifications in error from taxpayers through their on-line website www.indiana-homestead.com. The drop-down menu on that site listed a large number of counties that did not contract with SRI. Taxpayers in those counties may have reasonably believed they could file the homestead verification through SRI’s site. Thus, there are likely to be many taxpayers who believed they filed their verifications in a manner of which many county auditors would not be aware.
To remedy the problem for counties and taxpayers, SRI will contact the affected counties during the week of January 7, 2013 to provide the information it possesses regarding the filed homestead verifications. The exact format of the data will depend on the county and its needs.
County auditors may wish to consider postponing notification to taxpayers of the pending removal of their homestead deductions until this matter is finally resolved. It is, of course, a local decision.
The Department of Local Government Finance will continue to review SRI’s actions with regard to the homestead verification program and will provide additional information as appropriate.
