SENIORS in one U.S. state were shocked to see a bill due after state lawmakers said seniors would no longer see property taxes.
Some seniors had payments due that were $140 to $600 more than their 2024 property taxes.
In Missouri, several seniors revealed they saw a bill for property taxes after being approved for a tax credit program that was meant to “freeze” property taxes for seniors.
The tax credit stems from SB190, a bill sponsored by Missouri State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, which is meant to “[modify] provisions relating to the taxation of seniors.”
“The tax relief is calculated by subtracting the real estate property tax of the base year from the current year’s real estate property tax,” Clay County, Missouri’s Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program’s website stated.
The program took effect on January 1, 2025, and is meant for those 62 or older who own or have a legal interest in a home, claim that property as their primary residence and are responsible for paying real estate taxes on said property, the website noted.
‘A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING’
Joanne Ellington, a 91-year-old woman from Clay County, told FOX4 that she saw her 2025 bill increase by $140.
“A lot of people say that’s not that much,” she said. “I only make $1410 a month, so between taxes, insurance, that’s about three months of my income.”
“I feel like there’s a lot of seniors that can’t pay that.”
Another Missouri resident in Jackson County also saw a bump in his property tax bill of $600.
“I thought it was going to be the same amount as the 2024 taxes,” Daniel Van Hoecke, a resident of Jackson County, told FOX4.
“To get one that went up that much more was a little disappointing.”
Both Van Hoecke and Ellington were approved for their county’s senior property tax credit program, the outlet noted.
OFFICIALS SPEAK OUT
A Clay County spokesperson told FOX4 that debt levies and school mill rates are excluded from property tax credits, which could impact one’s bill.
The Clay County program’s website notes that taxes will not be exactly the same each year “after they are frozen.”
“[Qualifying seniors’ taxes] will not be exactly the same due to debt levy obligation changes and any new taxes voted in by citizens. If a new tax is voter-approved or an increase in a tax levy is voter-approved those increases will be reflected in your bill,” the program’s website said.
Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota told FOX4 that they do not have exemptions on school taxes or debt levies. He also said Van Hoecke’s $600 increase is inaccurate.
LeVota said some of the seniors’ bills that were approved for the tax relief program were not up-to-date with the credit. He added that the county is working to catch up with glitches and lags in the system.
Seniors who overpaid this year will receive a refund, LeVota said.
The county executive also confirmed that seniors may see an increase in their property valuation, but their bill should be about the same if they were approved for the senior tax credit.
FOX4 reached out to Luetkemeyer, the senator behind the bill, about the legislation’s discrepancies.
“There is nothing in the statute that excludes indebtedness (debt levies) from the senior property tax relief the legislature passed. Increased taxes related to debt should also be discounted from a senior’s tax bill,” he said.
“Some counties have adopted ordinances that try to create loopholes to prevent seniors from getting the full benefit of this tax relief.”
Some counties in the state have ensured tax increases are not included on seniors’ bills, which Luetkemeyer said he hopes others “will follow suit and comply with the letter and spirit of the law.”
