Senior Exemptions and California Property Taxes

Earlier tonight, at a Candidates Night, I was asked the question “what are you telling the taxpayers about Senior exemptions”. My answer was “call the Assessors Office…. that the office can only do what is allowed by law, but some of the exemptions might apply to you”. And, the following is the law in California:

1.What are Propositions 58 and 193? Proposition 58 provides for an exclusion from reassessment real property transfers between parents and children. Proposition 193 expands this tax relief to include certain transfers from grandparents to their grandchildren (transfers from grandchildren to grandparents are not eligible). Specific requirements must be met.
Reference: Section 2(h) of Article XIII A of the California Constitution and section 63.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

1.What are Propositions 60 and 90?Propositions 60 and 90 allow senior citizens to transfer the adjusted base year value from their current home to a replacement dwelling. Certain requirements must be met.
In general, if you or your spouse is age 55 or older, you or your spouse may buy or construct a new home of equal or lesser value than your existing home and transfer the adjusted base year value of your existing home to your new home if certain requirements are met. This is a one-time-only benefit. Thus, once you have filed and received this tax relief, neither you nor your spouse (if your spouse is a record owner of the replacement dwelling) can ever be granted this benefit again. The only exception is if you or your spouse becomes disabled after receiving this tax relief for age. If this happens, you or your spouse may transfer the base year value a second time based upon the disability. The relief for disability involves a different claim form.

Reference: Section 2(a) of Article XIII A of the California Constitution and section 69.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.


2.What is the difference between Proposition 60 and Proposition 90?Proposition 60 relates to transfers of base year values between properties located within the same county. Proposition 90 relates to transfers of base year values from an original property in one county to a replacement property in another county within California. For a transfer to be eligible under Proposition 90, the county in which the replacement property is located must have adopted an ordinance that allows such transfers. Currently, the following seven counties have passed ordinances authorizing these intercounty transfers:
Alameda Orange San Mateo Ventura
Los Angeles San Diego Santa Clara

This list may change at any given time. Please call your county assessor’s office to check if your county has passed such an ordinance.

3.What is Proposition 110?Proposition 110 extends the benefits of Propositions 60/90 to qualified disabled homeowners of any age. Other than the age factor, the same requirements under Propositions 60/90 must be met. Effective September 25, 1996, qualified persons who had prior claims based on age may file a second claim based on disability. However, once a person qualifies due to disability, he or she may not receive the base year value transfer benefit due to age.
Reference: Section 2(a) of Article XIII A of the California Constitution and section 69.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

Our obligation, as the Assessor Recorder, is to explain fully these Propositions, which is one of my goals.

Ron Largent for Shasta County Assessor Recorder on June 8th.

www.largent2010.com