TERRE HAUTE —
Nearing the end of a three-year notification process, Vigo County taxpayers have less than two months to file a homestead verification form to continue to receive a property tax deduction.
Pink-colored verification forms were first mailed with property tax bills in 2010, then again in 2011 and this year. The form must be completed and submitted to the county auditor’s office at least once prior to a Jan. 1, 2013 deadline.
“There are some people who have filled them out several times, submitting a form each year. They did not need to do that … it only needs to be submitted once,” said Vigo County Auditor Tim Seprodi.
The forms are required under a state measure aimed at reducing duplicate homestead property tax deductions.
“The homestead deduction gives a qualifying individual or couple a substantial property tax benefit by lowering their property tax obligation,” Brian Bailey, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, said in a written statement. “When individuals who do not qualify receive this benefit, it costs other taxpayers more.”
In 2010, about 3,400 parcels in Vigo County were “questionable” as double-dipping on homestead deductions for property taxes following a review from SRI Inc., an Indianapolis firm hired to research property parcels and tax payments back to 2007.
The county since has collected about $380,000 in back taxes/penalties from duplicate homestead deductions, Seprodi said.
A homestead deduction allows homeowners who use a property as a primary residence to qualify for a reduction of the lesser of 60 percent of the property’s assessed value or $45,000, plus up to an additional 35 percent of the remaining assessed value through the supplemental homestead deduction, according to the Department of Local Government Finance.
Of the more than 60,000 property parcels in Vigo County, Seprodi estimated about 40,000 parcels have been designated for the deduction from submitted forms.
“Presently, we are trying to get all of that information into the [county computer] system,” he said.
By the end of January, Seprodi said his office will send out a letter to taxpayers receiving the homestead deduction who have not filed the homestead verification form on or before Dec. 31.
“We have to notify taxpayers if they have not complied, we will remove their deduction. They will have two weeks [after that notification] to come in [to the auditor’s office] to make sure they comply,” Seprodi said.
Taxpayers whose taxes are paid by a mortgage company or bank should have received the pink notifications, along with the bank, Seprodi said. Any such taxpayer who has not received a notification should contact his office at 812-462-3361.
“Once we check it, we take care of it and it is not a problem,” Seprodi said.
“If a mistake is made like that, it can be corrected” even after the deadline, the auditor said. “The problem that arises is when a taxpayer gets a notice, does nothing, just lets it ride, and because the taxpayer didn’t act, the deduction will be removed.”
Additional information about the homestead deduction is available on the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance’s website at www.in.gov/dlgf/8455.htm.
Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached at 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Deadline looms for homestead verification
Less than two months left to file form for property tax deduction
- Local & Bistate
-
-
UPDATE: 5 killed, 6 injured in I-70 van crash in Illinois
ST. LOUIS — A van carrying church members returning from a California gathering careened off of a southern Illinois freeway and overturned several times today, killing five people and sending six others to hospitals, authorities said.
-
2 children reported dead from Indianapolis fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities say some autistic children lived in the Indianapolis condominium unit where a fire has killed two children.
-
Tighter Indiana drunken driving law seems unlikely
INDIANAPOLIS — Some key Indiana legislators say it’s unlikely that the state will any time soon go along with a federal safety board’s recommendation that the threshold for drunken driving be cut nearly in half.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 20, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, based on jail records.
-
Life-Size Ping Pong: Valley pickleball tourney draws large crowd to Brittlebank Park
It’s been described as “ping pong on steroids.”
Some people call it “life-size ping pong where you stand on the table.” -
Boat trip aims to raise awareness about Lewy Body Dementia
In 2013, the Year of the River, it makes sense to link a grand adventure on the Wabash River with a good cause.
-
Legislature had little taste for alcohol bills
When it comes to alcohol, the 2013 legislative session may be marked more by what it didn’t do to boost booze sales than what it did.
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Is it regulation that doesn’t make sense or evening the playing field?
I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t spent much time thinking about how Indiana’s alcohol laws personally impact me, but that changed last fall when my daughter got married.
-
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: April 29-May 3
The Vigo County Health Department inspected the following food establishments April 29-May 3:
-
For Piper: Annual ‘Rush the Punter’ event dedicated to Dixie Bee student who died Wednesday after a short illness
Steve Weatherford’s “Rush the Punter” fundraiser at Fairbanks Park on Saturday was dedicated to a little girl who lost her life unexpectedly to pneumonia.
-
Vigo schools prepare to tighten belts
State funding for the Vigo County School Corp. will remain “pretty flat” for the next two years, said Donna Wilson, chief financial officer.
-
Veterans take to the trees
Cristal Bednar took photos of her husband, Justin, as he laboriously climbed his way up a “Dangle-Duo” to get to a zipline at Indiana State University’s Sycamore Outdoor Center.
-
Property owner seeks halt to Hulman Lake dam project
A Terre Haute property owner is seeking an injunction that would at least temporarily halt the city’s work on the Hulman Lake dam project.
-
Tornado veterans balance preparedness, practicality
Few things in nature are less predictable than a tornado. They can form quickly. They strike weirdly, leveling one building while leaving its neighbor untouched. They can fling a car a half-mile and turn a piece of lumber into a wall-piercing missile.
-
ISU unveils interactive Bayh Family Legacy Wall at school
A who’s who of Indiana Democrats paid tribute to Evan Bayh and several generations of the Bayh family Friday during a dedication of a new interactive display at Indiana State University.
-
Can you smell me now?
A contraband cell phone has been discovered by the Vigo County Jail’s youngest and most unique officer.
-
GIVING BACK: Steve Weatherford buys shoes for kids day before charity run
Terre Haute’s Steve Weatherford, punter for the 2012 Super Bowl champion New York Giants, showed once again his generosity Friday by donating new athletic shoes to more than two dozen Vigo County kids.
-
N.Y. Giants honor Weatherford as ‘Man of the Year’
Dan Tanoos, superintendent of Vigo County schools, remembers the first time he saw Steve Weatherford as a freshman at Terre Haute North Vigo High School.
-
Sunday recital at The Woods
A recital featuring songs from well-known composers is at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
-
Police investigating rash of car window shootings
Terre Haute Police are investigating a rash of shootings that have shattered car windows throughout the city.
-
City hospitals get passing grades for patient safety
Two Terre Haute hospitals have been ranked for patient safety by an independent organization that assesses safety, quality and affordability of healthcare for Americans.
-
Three from Operation Turn and Burn sentenced in federal court
Three co-conspirators in a Wabash Valley methamphetamine trafficking ring were sentenced this week to several years in federal prison.
-
Illinois Senate approves medical marijuana bill
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes after the state Senate approved legislation today.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 17, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Thursday, based on jail records.
-
I-70 resurfacing project will close westbound exit ramp
PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation announces the resurfacing project on Interstate 70 will close the westbound exit ramp at Indiana 243 beginning Wednesday May, 22 at about 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. that same day to mill and resurface the ramp.
-
UPDATE: Fire damages buildings in downtown Greencastle
GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Fire badly damaged several buildings today near the courthouse square in Greencastle, with flames shooting through the roofs as firefighters from several communities were called in to the central Indiana city to help.
-
Get outside this Memorial Day weekend
Although DNR campgrounds and cabins at state parks, state reservoirs and recreation areas are booked to capacity for Memorial Day weekend, some shelters remain available for picnics and other day-use gatherings.
-
Skateboarders, BMX bike riders working to improve area of city park they use
The sound of small wheels rolling across smooth concrete fills the air, accented by the clacking noise of a wooden skateboard coming to an instant stop on a metal edge before rolling on again.
-
Indiana State to host 2014 MVC baseball tourney
Build it… and they will come. The Missouri Valley Conference and Indiana State University made that famous line from the movie “Fields Of Dreams” reality Thursday.
-
Overlay recommended for 812 area code
The state agency that represents Hoosier utility customers is calling for a ten-digit solution to southern Indiana’s vanishing supply of 812 area code telephone numbers.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
Raw: Suspects Butt Dial 911, Lead to Arrest
Raw: Okla. Tornado Aftermath 'Like War Zone'
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
Justin Bieber Gets Booed
New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos
Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction
Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom
Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip
Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards
Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt
Grizzly bear gets up close and personal with camera
Justin Bieber Gets Booed After Winning at the Billboard Awards
Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem
