Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit Program Information
from the State of Maryland
www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/htc.html

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Property Tax Credit Information
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The State of Maryland has developed a program which allows credits against the homeowner's property tax bill if the property taxes exceed a fixed percentage of the person's gross income. In other words, it sets a limit on the amount of property taxes any homeowner must pay based upon his or her income.

This plan has been in existence since 1975 when it was known as the "circuit breaker" plan for elderly homeowners. The plan was called circuit breaker because it shut off the property tax bill at a certain point just like an electric circuit breaker shuts off the current when the circuit becomes overloaded. The Maryland General Assembly has improved the plan through the years so that now this program is available to all homeowners regardless of their age, and the credits are given where needed based upon the person's income.

In 2006, the City was granted inclusion by the State to extend the tax credit to qualified City property tax payers. Homeowners who file and qualify by May 1 will receive the credit directly on their tax bill or as a credit certificate issued at the same time the property tax bill is mailed. Persons who file later up until the September 1 deadline will receive any credit due either in the form of a revised tax bill or a tax credit certificate to be used in payment of the bill.