Filing period for North Dakota homeowner tax credit half over
Feb. 14—GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks' county auditor is urging residents to apply for North Dakota's new tax credit for homeowners.
Debbie Nelson, county auditor and head of the county's finance and tax offices, is calling for all homeowners in the city and county to apply for the primary residence property tax credit by March 31.
The tax credit, administered by the office of the state tax commissioner, was passed by the Legislature as part of a slate of tax cuts last March. Some $100 million
has been set aside for the program
for 2024, which offers an up to a $500 tax credit for North Dakota homeowners.
To qualify, applicants must own a home in North Dakota and principally reside at that address. There are no age or income restrictions, but the credit can only be applied to one household.
"I want to ensure that everyone that has a North Dakota primary residence applies for this credit," Nelson said. "If you miss the deadline, you cannot receive the credit. If you call April 1, it's too late."
Residents apply online for the credit at
. Homeowners need their Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number, and the Property Parcel Number of their home.
As of Thursday, Feb. 15 — the halfway point of the filing period — some 8,104 Grand Forks County residents had applied for the primary residence credit, including 6,387 city of Grand Forks residents, according to the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner.
According to the American Community Survey, some 17,225 of the county's housing units were owner-occupied in 2022, including 11,612 in the city.
That means a little over half of the homeowners in the city and just under half of all county residents have applied for the credit.
This has not assuaged Nelson's concerns.
"That's not a really good number, I don't think," Nelson said. "That means half the people don't know about it. If you knew about it, why would you wait?"
Residents who may have difficulties using a computer or accessing the internet can visit the Grand Forks Public Library and ask staff for help.
Residents age 60 and older can also call the Grand Forks Senior Center and ask for their resources team for assistance; the senior center can be reached at 701-772-7245.
The deadline for the Homestead Property Tax Credit,
which is targeted to elderly and disabled
residents, has also been extended to Mar. 31.
