• Several relief programs are now available to certain homeowners. Some require an application.

 

By Maggie Mullen, WyoFile.com

The application window is now open for several property tax relief programs in Wyoming, including exemptions for veterans, long-term homeowners and owner-occupied residential properties. 

WyoFile spoke with Dixie Huxtable, Converse County clerk and legislative committee chairperson for the Wyoming County Assessors’ Association, about what homeowners need to know to save on their tax bills. 

Property taxes have been a major focus of the Wyoming Legislature in recent years, and county officials have done everything from mailings and media advertisements to town halls and visits to the local senior citizen center. 

Still, Huxtable said, some homeowners are not aware of what’s available to them. 

“I’d like to think that we’ve done as much as we can to reach everybody but I still get people — I’ve had people since the first of October, come to my counter and say, ‘I’ve never heard of this before. I didn’t know anything about this until my neighbor told me,’” Huxtable said. 

The one cost-savings program in state law that does not require homeowners to fill out an application is a 4% cap on year-to-year property tax increases. 

Technically, Huxtable said, there are two 4% caps — one is applied to the residential structure, another to the associated residential land. But neither require any action on the homeowner’s part. From there, assessors consider exemptions in an order set by state law. 

 

Exemptions

Homeowners who live in their home for at least eight months of the year are eligible for a 25% exemption on the first $1 million of the property’s fair market value. 

Last tax year, the exemption was automatically applied to all single-family homes in Wyoming. Homeowners must now apply online by Feb. 1, which includes signing an affidavit affirming they occupy the property. Because an estimated 175,000 homeowners will qualify for the program, Huxtable said the assessors worked with the Department of Revenue to develop the website. 

“We tried to come up with an efficient way to do it, and I’m sure it’s going to have some hiccups. It has had some hiccups, but we’re trying to work it out as best we can to meet the law,” Huxtable said. 

She also said she understands the online process may be difficult for some to access on their own. 

“I have parents that are 95 and 89 years old, and they live at home and they pay their own bills. But they don’t understand this. They don’t have a computer,” Huxtable said.

Wyoming’s older homeowners have another tax-saving option with an exemption specifically for residents 65 years of age and older. Those residents — who have also paid property taxes in the state for at least 25 years — may qualify for a 50% exemption. The home must also be their primary residence. 

Homeowners may apply at their local county assessor’s office before May 26. However, homeowners may not receive both the 25% and the 50% exemptions. 

“It’s not cumulative. It’s one or the other,” Huxtable said. 

Lastly, there is an exemption available for veterans. It reduces the assessed valuation by $6,000, and can also be applied to a vehicle. Applications are available at the local county assessor’s office and are due May 26. 

While not an exemption, the state’s property tax refund program may be another option for homeowners. Whether the program is available will depend on whether lawmakers chose to fund it in the upcoming session. Some legislators are interested in taking things in a different direction, including abolishing property taxes altogether. 

Meanwhile, some homeowners have urged the Legislature to skip further property tax cuts, citing concerns about funding for public services. Property taxes don’t fund the state government, but rather pay for local services including schools, law enforcement, roads, water and sewer systems, parks and libraries. 

In her own community, Huxtable said she’s noticed people becoming more aware of what property taxes pay for. 

“As this progresses, I think people are beginning to understand that it’s going to have an effect on the services that they’ve come to expect,” Huxtable said.

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