Washington County Property Owners Urged to Review Reassessment Notices and Tax Credit Options

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Washington County property owners should review reassessment notices and explore tax credits like Homestead to manage potential tax increases.

Washington County Government is advising property owners within the county to carefully examine their recently issued reassessment notices and to investigate available tax credit programs that could help mitigate potential increases in their property tax burden. For residents who own their principal residence, the county and the state offer mechanisms to soften the financial impact of rising property values.

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The state employs a phased-in reassessment system for principal residences, a measure designed to maintain affordability by spreading significant value increases across three years. While decreases in property value are applied immediately, increases under this system are capped. For homeowners, the state’s Homestead Tax Credit limits the annual increase in a property’s taxable assessment to 10%, regardless of the owner’s income. Washington County has implemented an even more stringent limit, capping annual increases at 5% for eligible homeowners who apply and meet the program’s criteria. This Homestead Tax Credit is a one-time application process, and successful applicants will see its benefits applied annually.

Beyond the Homestead Tax Credit, property owners are also encouraged to explore the Homeowners’ Tax Credit program. For those who believe their new total market value assessment does not accurately reflect their property’s market worth, the right to appeal this valuation with SDAT exists. It is critical for property owners to be aware that appeals must be formally filed with SDAT within 45 days of receiving the reassessment notice. Further information regarding these reassessments and tax credit programs can be found on the SDAT website at dat.maryland.gov.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Washington County Government.

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