Bill Text: IN HB1240 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Homesteads.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-12 - First reading: referred to Committee on Ways and Means [HB1240 Detail]
Download: Indiana-2011-HB1240-Introduced.html
Citations Affected: IC 6-1.1-12-37.
Synopsis: Homesteads. Expands the definition of "homestead" to
include up to three acres of land surrounding a dwelling. (Current law
limits a homestead to one acre of land surrounding a dwelling.)
Effective: January 1, 2012.
January 12, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Ways and Means.
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A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
taxation.
(1) "Dwelling" means any of the following:
(A) Residential real property improvements that an individual uses as the individual's residence, including a house or garage.
(B) A mobile home that is not assessed as real property that an individual uses as the individual's residence.
(C) A manufactured home that is not assessed as real property that an individual uses as the individual's residence.
(2) "Homestead" means an individual's principal place of residence:
(A) that is located in Indiana;
(B) that:
(i) the individual owns;
(ii) the individual is buying under a contract, recorded in the
county recorder's office, that provides that the individual is
to pay the property taxes on the residence;
(iii) the individual is entitled to occupy as a
tenant-stockholder (as defined in 26 U.S.C. 216) of a
cooperative housing corporation (as defined in 26 U.S.C.
216); or
(iv) is a residence described in section 17.9 of this chapter
that is owned by a trust if the individual is an individual
described in section 17.9 of this chapter; and
(C) that consists of a dwelling and the real estate, not
exceeding one (1) acre, three (3) acres, that immediately
surrounds that dwelling.
Except as provided in subsection (k), the term does not include
property owned by a corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, or other entity not described in this subdivision.
(b) Each year a homestead is eligible for a standard deduction from
the assessed value of the homestead for an assessment date. The
deduction provided by this section applies to property taxes first due
and payable for an assessment date only if an individual has an interest
in the homestead described in subsection (a)(2)(B) on:
(1) the assessment date; or
(2) any date in the same year after an assessment date that a
statement is filed under subsection (e) or section 44 of this
chapter, if the property consists of real property.
Subject to subsection (c), the auditor of the county shall record and
make the deduction for the individual or entity qualifying for the
deduction.
(c) Except as provided in section 40.5 of this chapter, the total
amount of the deduction that a person may receive under this section
for a particular year is the lesser of:
(1) sixty percent (60%) of the assessed value of the real property,
mobile home not assessed as real property, or manufactured home
not assessed as real property; or
(2) forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000).
(d) A person who has sold real property, a mobile home not assessed
as real property, or a manufactured home not assessed as real property
to another person under a contract that provides that the contract buyer
is to pay the property taxes on the real property, mobile home, or
manufactured home may not claim the deduction provided under this
section with respect to that real property, mobile home, or
manufactured home.
(e) Except as provided in sections 17.8 and 44 of this chapter and
subject to section 45 of this chapter, an individual who desires to claim
the deduction provided by this section must file a certified statement in
duplicate, on forms prescribed by the department of local government
finance, with the auditor of the county in which the homestead is
located. The statement must include:
(1) the parcel number or key number of the property and the name
of the city, town, or township in which the property is located;
(2) the name of any other location in which the applicant or the
applicant's spouse owns, is buying, or has a beneficial interest in
residential real property;
(3) the names of:
(A) the applicant and the applicant's spouse (if any):
(i) as the names appear in the records of the United States
Social Security Administration for the purposes of the
issuance of a Social Security card and Social Security
number; or
(ii) that they use as their legal names when they sign their
names on legal documents;
if the applicant is an individual; or
(B) each individual who qualifies property as a homestead
under subsection (a)(2)(B) and the individual's spouse (if any):
(i) as the names appear in the records of the United States
Social Security Administration for the purposes of the
issuance of a Social Security card and Social Security
number; or
(ii) that they use as their legal names when they sign their
names on legal documents;
if the applicant is not an individual; and
(4) either:
(A) the last five (5) digits of the applicant's Social Security
number and the last five (5) digits of the Social Security
number of the applicant's spouse (if any); or
(B) if the applicant or the applicant's spouse (if any) do not
have a Social Security number, any of the following for that
individual:
(i) The last five (5) digits of the individual's driver's license
number.
(ii) The last five (5) digits of the individual's state
identification card number.
(iii) If the individual does not have a driver's license or a
state identification card, the last five (5) digits of a control
number that is on a document issued to the individual by the
federal government and determined by the department of
local government finance to be acceptable.
If a form or statement provided to the county auditor under this section,
IC 6-1.1-22-8.1, or IC 6-1.1-22.5-12 includes the telephone number or
part or all of the Social Security number of a party or other number
described in subdivision (4)(B) of a party, the telephone number and
the Social Security number or other number described in subdivision
(4)(B) included are confidential. The statement may be filed in person
or by mail. If the statement is mailed, the mailing must be postmarked
on or before the last day for filing. The statement applies for that first
year and any succeeding year for which the deduction is allowed. With
respect to real property, the statement must be completed and dated in
the calendar year for which the person desires to obtain the deduction
and filed with the county auditor on or before January 5 of the
immediately succeeding calendar year. With respect to a mobile home
that is not assessed as real property, the person must file the statement
during the twelve (12) months before March 31 of the year for which
the person desires to obtain the deduction.
(f) If an individual who is receiving the deduction provided by this
section or who otherwise qualifies property for a deduction under this
section:
(1) changes the use of the individual's property so that part or all
of the property no longer qualifies for the deduction under this
section; or
(2) is no longer eligible for a deduction under this section on
another parcel of property because:
(A) the individual would otherwise receive the benefit of more
than one (1) deduction under this chapter; or
(B) the individual maintains the individual's principal place of
residence with another individual who receives a deduction
under this section;
the individual must file a certified statement with the auditor of the
county, notifying the auditor of the change of use, not more than sixty
(60) days after the date of that change. An individual who fails to file
the statement required by this subsection is liable for any additional
taxes that would have been due on the property if the individual had
filed the statement as required by this subsection plus a civil penalty
equal to ten percent (10%) of the additional taxes due. The civil penalty
imposed under this subsection is in addition to any interest and
penalties for a delinquent payment that might otherwise be due. One
percent (1%) of the total civil penalty collected under this subsection
shall be transferred by the county to the department of local
government finance for use by the department in establishing and
maintaining the homestead property data base under subsection (i) and,
to the extent there is money remaining, for any other purposes of the
department. This amount becomes part of the property tax liability for
purposes of this article.
(g) The department of local government finance shall adopt rules or
guidelines concerning the application for a deduction under this
section.
(h) This subsection does not apply to property in the first year for
which a deduction is claimed under this section if the sole reason that
a deduction is claimed on other property is that the individual or
married couple maintained a principal residence at the other property
on March 1 in the same year in which an application for a deduction is
filed under this section or, if the application is for a homestead that is
assessed as personal property, on March 1 in the immediately
preceding year and the individual or married couple is moving the
individual's or married couple's principal residence to the property that
is the subject of the application. The county auditor may not grant an
individual or a married couple a deduction under this section if:
(1) the individual or married couple, for the same year, claims the
deduction on two (2) or more different applications for the
deduction; and
(2) the applications claim the deduction for different property.
(i) The department of local government finance shall provide secure
access to county auditors to a homestead property data base that
includes access to the homestead owner's name and the numbers
required from the homestead owner under subsection (e)(4) for the sole
purpose of verifying whether an owner is wrongly claiming a deduction
under this chapter or a credit under IC 6-1.1-20.4, IC 6-1.1-20.6, or
IC 6-3.5.
(j) The department of local government finance shall work with
county auditors to develop procedures to determine whether a property
owner that is claiming a standard deduction or homestead credit is not
eligible for the standard deduction or homestead credit because the
property owner's principal place of residence is outside Indiana.
(k) As used in this section, "homestead" includes property that
satisfies each of the following requirements:
(1) The property is located in Indiana and consists of a dwelling
and the real estate, not exceeding one (1) acre, three (3) acres,
that immediately surrounds that dwelling.
(2) The property is the principal place of residence of an
individual.
(3) The property is owned by an entity that is not described in subsection (a)(2)(B).
(4) The individual residing on the property is a shareholder, partner, or member of the entity that owns the property.
(5) The property was eligible for the standard deduction under this section on March 1, 2009.
(l) If a county auditor terminates a deduction for property described in subsection (k) with respect to property taxes that are:
(1) imposed for an assessment date in 2009; and
(2) first due and payable in 2010;
on the grounds that the property is not owned by an entity described in subsection (a)(2)(B), the county auditor shall reinstate the deduction if the taxpayer provides proof that the property is eligible for the deduction in accordance with subsection (k) and that the individual residing on the property is not claiming the deduction for any other property.
(m) For assessments dates after 2009, the term "homestead" includes:
(1) a deck or patio;
(2) a gazebo; or
(3) another residential yard structure, as defined in rules adopted by the department of local government finance (other than a swimming pool);
that is assessed as real property and attached to the dwelling.
