Lunenburg expands tax rebate program

There’s no doubt this pandemic and inflation have made life more difficult for many individuals, businesses and community organizations.

To help make life more affordable for low-income homeowners, we have expanded our program that allows them to apply for the property tax exemption.

The Property Tax Rebate Program is one of the ways council supports low-income

homeowners by granting a property tax rebate based on household income. The amount received is dependent on the total household income.

The previous policy allowed for a rebate of up to $500 for those households with incomes of less than $29,999. The new policy permits a rebate of up to $530 for households with incomes of less than $38,000.

The number of categories has also been reduced from five to three, ensuring the majority of low-income homeowners now qualify for the highest rebate category.

What does household income mean? Generally, it means the income of every person who owns and resides on the property. Specifically, the applicant must claim the incomes of:

-Every person assessed for property who resides on the property

-Spouse (including common-law spouse) who resides on the property

-Anyone who has the care or control of the property through adverse possession and resides on the property.

-Any person with a life interest in the property, who resides on the property

The War Veterans Allowance and any pension for disabled members of the armed forces or their dependents are excluded from the total household income.

If the applicant owns multiple properties, only the primary residence qualifies for the exemption. The applicant must live at the property. If a homeowner is in long-term care or lives in a hospital, they may still be eligible for the rebate as long as they continue to own their home and have slept there within the past two years.

Qualified applicants will see the exemption on your final property tax bill for the year. Applicants need to apply every year.

For more information and to apply for the Property Tax Exemption, visit modl.ca/ property-tax-exemptions. html. Applications are due by Aug. 1. However, the municipality will accept applications all year if funding permits.