Local residents who are able to file homestead or food sales refunds have less than a month left to do that, according to information from County Clerk Donna Zimmerman.
Zimmerman reported towards the end of January that her office had already processed 40 homestead and 51 food sales refund filings. “These refunds are provided for low-income and elderly citizens as a free service,” the county clerk reported.
Homestead claims can be filed between Jan. 1 and April 15 each year.
According to information from the Kansas Department of Revenue, “the Homestead Refund is a rebate program for the property taxes paid by homeowners and renters. The refund is based on a portion of the property tax paid on a Kansas resident’s homestead. If you own your home, the refund is a percentage of your general property tax. If you rent your home, 15 percent of the rent paid for occupancy is used as the property tax amount. The maximum refund is $700.”
Requirements for participation are few, the department added.
“To claim a homestead refund you must have been a Kansas resident all of last year and had an income of $30,800 or less. You must also meet one of the following three requirements:
•You were born before January 1, 1955; OR
•You must have been totally and permanently disabled or blind during the entire year, regardless of your age; OR
•You must have had a dependent child living with you all of last year who was born before January 1, 2010, and was under the age of 18 the entire year.
The food sale refund program is similar, according to information from the revenue department.
“This program offers a refund of the sales tax paid on food for certain qualifying individuals.
“To qualify you must be a Kansas resident, living in Kansas the entire year. Your Kansas qualifying income must be $35,000 or less. The refund is claimed on the Kansas Individual Income Tax Return.
“You must also meet one of the following requirements:”
•Be 55 years of age or older, OR
•Be blind or disabled, OR
•Have a dependent child under 18 who lived with you all year whom you claim as a personal exemption
In other county business this week:
The Barton County Commissioners approved paying $5,144.30 in membership fees to the Kansas Association of Counties for 2011. That was a $160.76 increase from the 2010 fees. Payment was approved with Commissioner John Edmonds opposed.
And the commission reappointed Elsie Snapp to the Center for Counseling board of directors.