Fairfax County Offers Real Estate Tax Relief to Elderly and People With Disabilities

The biannual payment for Fairfax County real estate taxes is due today. Some residents may want to check to see if they qualify for a county program that offers tax relief that can cut a tax bill by 25 percent, 50 percent or 100 percent.

Each year the program helps about 8,000 residents pay about $24 million in property taxes, said Kevin Greenlief, director of the county’s Department of Tax Administration.

The deadline to apply is supposed to be April 1, but residents have until Dec. 31. "For hardship cases, we take a very customer-friendly view of that definition," Greenlief said.

The program is for homeowners 65 and older and anyone with a permanent disability, who meet income requirements.

Income qualifications for applicants:

Applicants (and spouses who live at the home) also must not have total combined net assets greater than $340,000 (not including the value of the home, its furnishings and up to one acre of land).

The home must also be the permanent residence of the applicant and not a vacation home.

For more information, e-mail: taxrelief@fairfaxcounty.gov