Idahoans could save up to $1,500 this year due to property tax relief. Here’s how to apply

Shaun Goodwin
Updated ·3 min read
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Time is already running out to apply for property tax relief for property taxes due this coming December. Idahoans could save up to $1,500.

Applications for tax relief must be submitted by April 18, and Idahoans must meet some requirements to qualify for the relief. Here’s what you need to know.

What are property taxes?

You most likely owe property taxes if you own any property in Idaho — a house or apartment, farmland, or business.

Every year the county assessor’s office must estimate how much someone would pay for your property. The house is assessed at 100% of its market value unless you apply for exemptions; exemption criteria and forms can be found on the assessor’s office website.

The rate at which your property is then taxed varies every year by district. In Ada County in 2021, the most recent data provided by the county, the average tax for urban areas was 1.04%, and the average rate for rural areas was 0.7%.

Property tax payments are due Dec. 20 each year, or the cost can be split in two. The first to be paid by Dec. 20 and the second half by June 20 of the following year.

You can apply online or print off a paper form from the Idaho State Tax Commission’s website and mail it to P.O. Box 36, Boise, ID 83722, or to the Tax Commission’s building at 11321 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID 83714.

What’s needed to qualify?

The newly-created property tax reduction program can save Idahoans between $250 and $1,500. The program can be applied to any primary residence and up to an acre of land.

But you do need to match all of the following criteria to qualify:

  • You’re an Idaho resident.

  • You own and live in the home or mobile home, and the property value doesn’t exceed $400,000 or is above 200% of the median per county.

  • After deducting medical expenses, your 2022 total income was $37,000 or less.

  • You also have to be at least one of the following as of Jan. 1, 2023:

Those who don’t qualify for the property tax reduction program may be eligible for the property tax deferral program. The program allows Idahoans to postpone paying taxes on their home, but the taxes must be paid in full with interest at a later date. The application deadline for the program is Sept. 5.

Property tax benefit for veterans with disabilities

There is an additional opportunity for veterans with disabilities to find some property tax relief with less stringent requirements — chief among them being there is no income limit to qualify.

Veterans applying for this program must include a letter from Veterans Affairs confirming their 100% service-connected disability. Veterans must also have owned and lived in a home in Idaho that was their primary residence before April 15.

For more information about property tax relief, Idahoans can contact their county assessor’s office or call the Idaho State Tax Commission at (208) 334-7736. People who are hard of hearing can use the Idaho Relay Service at (800) 377-3529.