Five staff members at the county?s Department of Finance are waiting for the phones to start ringing.
They anticipate an influx of calls on the heels of the department sending out 76,000 information cards about the county?s new senior tax cut, which goes into effect this year.
“We do expect some reaction,” said Linda Watts, chief of the Bureau of Revenue in the Finance Department.
The cards have basic information on who may qualify for the 25 percent tax credit.
Residents must be at least 70 years old with income of no more than $68,450 and net assets of no more than $500,000 to qualify.
The cards also include information about the state homeowners tax credit, for which seniors also must apply.
So far, the Maryland Access Point program in the county?s Office on Aging has received about 80 calls, 25 walk-ins and five requests for home visits, said Pam Bilal, supervisor of MAP, which provides assistance and referral to seniors.
Some seniors were concerned about how much information the county wants and had questions about the asset limits, Bilal said.
“We have assisted about 20 clients in actually filling out the forms, which takes an average of [90 minutes]” she said.
The Office on Aging also hosted the first of six clinics Wednesday at senior centers to offer application help.
Meanwhile, the task force charged with reviewing the credit iskeeping a close watch. Information such as how many people applied will help the group as it considers what may need further tweaking.
“We will begin to understand what has been created,” Task Force Chairman Ted Meyerson said.
Contact Information
Questions on the senior tax credit?
Call the Department of Finance at 410-313-4076.
