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<section article="gtp" article_name="Tax - Property" number="9-102" title_number="9" title_name="Property Tax Credits and Property Tax Relief" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Statewide Mandatory">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Assets” include:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>real property;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>cash;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>savings accounts;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>stocks;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>bonds; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>any other investment.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Assets” do not include:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the cash value of the life insurance policies on the life of the renter;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the cash value of any qualified retirement savings plans or individual retirement accounts; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>tangible personal property.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Assumed real property tax” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>15% of the occupancy rent paid by a renter during the calendar year; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>15% of the occupancy rent paid by a renter during the calendar year plus any tax paid under § 20–501 of the Local Government Article.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Combined income” means the combined gross income of all individuals who actually reside in a dwelling except an individual who:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>is a dependent of the renter under § 152 of the Internal Revenue Code; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>pays a reasonable amount for rent or room and board.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Dwelling” means a rental unit that is the principal residence of a renter.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Dwelling” includes a mobile home pad on which the principal residence of the renter rests.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Gross income” means the total income from all sources for the calendar year that immediately precedes the taxable year, whether or not the income is included in the definition of gross income for federal or State tax purposes.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Gross income” includes:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>any benefit under the Social Security Act or the Railroad Retirement Act;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the aggregate of gifts over $300;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>alimony;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>support money;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>any nontaxable strike benefit;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>public assistance received in a cash grant;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="7">
          <text>a pension;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="8">
          <text>an annuity;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="9">
          <text>any unemployment insurance benefit;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="10">
          <text>any workers’ compensation benefit; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="11">
          <text>the net income received from a business, rental, or other endeavor.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>“Gross income” does not include:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>any income tax refund received from the State or federal government, including any refundable portion of the federal earned income tax credit; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>any loss from business, rental, or other endeavor.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>“Net worth” means the sum of the current market value of all assets, less any outstanding liability.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>“Occupancy rent” means the rent paid for the right to occupy a dwelling less the reasonable value of the utilities or furnishings or both if the utilities or the use of the furnishings or both are included in the rent.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>“Renter” means an individual, who during the calendar year for which the property tax relief under this section is sought, actually occupies a dwelling in which the individual has a leasehold interest and who:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>is at least 60 years old;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>has been found permanently and totally disabled and has qualified for benefits under:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the Social Security Act;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the Railroad Retirement Act;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>any federal act for service members; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>any federal retirement system;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>has been found permanently and totally disabled by a county health officer or the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>is under the age of 60 years and:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>has gross income below the poverty threshold that is established by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census in August of the previous calendar year;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>has 1 or more dependent children under 18 years old living with the renter; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>does not receive federal or State housing subsidies or reside in public housing.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a property tax relief program for any renter.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Department shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>give to each renter notice of possible property tax relief under this section; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>establish a marketing campaign to promote the use of the property tax relief program under this section.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The marketing campaign shall focus on reaching renters in high poverty areas throughout the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Comptroller shall provide in each package of income tax forms and instructions notice of the availability of a property tax credit under this section. Such notice shall be similar in every way to that provided homeowners in § 9–104(f) of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Department shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on or before December 31, 2015, and every 2 years thereafter, on the promotion of the property tax relief program under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>If a dwelling is not actually occupied or expected to be occupied by the renter for 6 months or more of the calendar year, the dwelling is not a principal residence.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, on or before October 1 of the year following the calendar year for which property tax relief under this section is sought, a renter may apply to the Department for the property tax relief.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The application shall be made on the form that the Department provides.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>For good cause, the Department may accept an application from a renter after October 1 but on or before October 31 of the year following the calendar year for which property tax relief under this section is sought.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Department may accept an application from a renter within 3 years after October 1 of the calendar year for which the property tax relief under this section is sought if the renter was:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>at least 70 years old in the calendar year for which the property tax relief under this section is sought; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>eligible for the property tax relief under this section for the taxable year for which the relief is sought.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The renter shall state under oath that the statements in the application are true.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>To substantiate the application, the applicant may be required to provide a copy of an income tax return, or other evidence detailing gross income or net worth.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>Notwithstanding § 13–202 of the Tax – General Article, to verify the income stated in an application, the Comptroller shall give the Department the information required.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The property tax relief that a renter may receive under this section is the assumed property tax on real property less a percentage of the combined income of the renter.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The percentage is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>0% of the 1st $4,000 of combined income;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <level label="2">
          <text>5% of the 2nd $4,000 of combined income; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <level label="5">
          <text>5% of the combined income over $8,000.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>The property tax relief under this section may not be:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>more than $1,000;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>granted to any renter whose combined net worth exceeds $200,000 as of December 31 of the calendar year for which the property tax relief is sought;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>granted to any renter whose dwelling is exempt from property tax; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>granted if the credit under this section is less than $1 in any year.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>process applications upon receipt;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>certify to the Comptroller the property tax relief under this section due each renter; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>make the certifications required under item (ii) of this paragraph no less frequently than each month.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Comptroller shall pay the amount to the renter upon receipt of the certification from the Department.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
