Are you over 65 in Arizona and you’re living on a fixed income? You could be eligible to significantly reduce your property tax bill using these two government programs.

• Senior Property Valuation Protection Program – This program is available to roughly 22,000 seniors in the state of Arizona. You can apply through the county assessor office. What this program does is “freeze” the value on the home in which you’re taxed. This protects seniors like you, or someone you know, from large increases in tax bills if the value of your home quickly rises. An example of this would be a housing boom. To keep this program, you must reapply every three years to keep the protection provided through this program. This program will not affect the resale price of your home.
   
• Maricopa County Elderly Assistance Fund – This program is administered through the Maricopa County Treasurer’s Office. This is available to about 14,000 seniors in the county. Through this program, you can obtain property-tax subsidies if you’re already in the Senior Property Valuation Protection Program. This can cut your tax bill in half. On average, a homeowner receives $200 per year through this program. Seniors who have already been accepted into the Senior Property Valuation Protection Program will be automatically enrolled for the Elderly Assistance Fund.

Signing up is easy as long if you meet these requirements

• You are 65 years or older
• You have an individual annual income of less than 36,000 or a joint income of less than $45,000
• You own the home for which you’re applying
• You have used the home as your primary residence for at least two years
• You have filed the paperwork by September 1^st

Once you’ve been accepted you just have to reapply every three years to stay in the program.

Click here to download the form or go to https://mcassessor.maricopa.gov/relief-programs/valuation-relief-programs.php. You can also call the Assessor’s Office at 602-506-3406

If you’ve been accepted into the Property Valuation Protection Program you’re automatically enrolled into the Elderly Assistance Fund.

For more information, you can visit the website of the Maricopa County Treasurer’s Office. You can also call the Treasurer’s Office at 602-506-8511.