Bradley County Trustee Mike Smith has announced the Trustee’s Office will be accepting applications for the State of Tennessee Tax Relief and Bradley County Tax Freeze programs through April 5.
Tax relief is payment by the State of Tennessee to reimburse homeowners meeting certain eligibility requirements for a part or all of paid property taxes. Tax relief is not an exemption. You still receive your tax bill(s) and are responsible for paying your property taxes each year.
To qualify for the Tax Relief Program, the applicant must be age 65 or older by Dec. 31, 2022, or be a disabled homeowner. The property must be owned and used as the primary residence. The maximum 2021 income for the applicant, spouse and all owners of the property must not exceed $31,600.
For a disabled veteran homeowner, an applicant must be totally and permanently disabled on or before Dec. 31, 2022 and must not have been dishonorably discharged from any armed services. Property tax relief shall also be extended to the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who, at the time of the disabled veteran’s death, was eligible for disabled veterans’ property tax relief. A surviving spouse must have been married to the veteran at the time of death and not have remarried.
The tax freeze program is a local program approved by the Bradley County Commission in 2007 that will freeze the property taxes of applicants, age 65 and older by Dec. 31, 2022, at the current amount owed when the applicant is initially approved. The applicant must apply annually for the Tax Freeze Program. To qualify for the Tax Freeze Program, all property owners and the applicant’s spousal 2021 income cannot exceed $34,780. The applicant must own and use the property as their primary residence. Property taxes must be paid.
Trustee Smith stated, “The Tax Relief and Tax Freeze programs are two very important programs that assist our citizens with their taxes. I encourage any citizen who feels they meet the qualification criterion to come to the Trustee’s Office to apply. I also want to remind the property owners that qualified for the Tax Freeze Program last year of the requirement to reapply for the program annually.”
To apply, please bring all of your 2021 income for all owners listed on the deed, including the applicant’s spouse, as well as some form of identification such as a valid driver’s license and Medicare card. If you filed a 2021 income tax return, a copy of your return is required, as well as Form 1099-SSA or Form 1099-SSI. Also, we need a copy of the title or bill of sale if you reside in a mobile home. If your property is in a trust, the state requires a copy of this document as well.
The Bradley County Trustee’s Office is at 1701 Keith St. in Cleveland. If you have any additional questions concerning the programs, please call the Trustee’s Office at 728-7247.