August 15 is the deadline to apply for property tax refunds

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The deadline for homeowners and renters to apply for a property tax refund is Friday, August 15.

You can complete your application online or by mail. While the deadline to file is August 15, homeowners and renters have an additional one year grace period to claim a refund for 2014.

“We did our best to halt the rise in property taxes and, in many cases, lowered them,” said Representative Roger Erickson (DFL-Baudette). “We hope to do more next session.”

A recent report from the non-partisan House Research Department report found that property taxes will drop by $49 million this year – the first decrease since 2002. Homeowners will see the most significant decrease. Statewide, homeowner property taxes are decreasing by $171 million in 2014, a 5.2 percent decrease from 2013.

That means 2,050 households in Beltrami County will see an increase in their property tax refunds, 1,340 in Hubbard County and 200 in Lake of the Woods County.

Renters will also notice increased refunds. In Beltrami County, 2,260 renters will get an increase in their renters credit, 770 in Hubbard and 140 in Lake of the Woods.

To look up eligibility requirements and application instructions, Minnesotans can visit http://www.revenue.state.mn.us or by calling the Department of Revenue at 651-296-3781 ( tel:6512963781) or 1-800-652-9094

( tel:18006529094) .

Information for homeowners:

You may be eligible for a property tax refund of up to $2,580 if you are a homeowner and your household income was less than $105,500 in 2013. To apply for the Homestead Credit Refund, complete Form M1PR and submit to the Department of Revenue by August 15, 2014.

• You must be a full-year or part-year Minnesota resident.

• You must have owned and lived in your home on January 2, 2014.

• Your property must be your homestead.

• You cannot be a dependent.

Information for renters:

You may be eligible for a property tax refund of up to $2,000 if you are a renter and your household income was less than $57,170. To apply for the Renter's Property Tax Refund, complete Form M1PR and submit along with a Certificate of Rent Paid to the Department of Revenue by August 15, 2014.

• You must be a full-year or part-year Minnesota resident.

• You must live in a building on which property taxes are paid.

• You must have a Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) for each rental unit you lived in during 2013.

• You cannot be a dependent.