Utah officials are warning residents to beware of animated disinformation videos online that spread false claims regarding property tax assessments. These videos, which use sensationalized content to generate clicks, falsely suggest that federal laws or mandates provide tax benefits based on a person's age or birth decade.
According to officials, there is no federal law that grants property tax assessment caps based on age, as property taxes are governed by state and local governments rather than the federal government. Furthermore, no federal spending package has changed Utah's local property tax laws, and claims regarding a universal master form or special tax benefits are untrue.
For Utah property owners, officials clarified that the state does not have a senior property tax freeze program that locks in a home's assessed value. However, Utah does offer the Circuit Breaker program, which is a property tax reduction program for qualifying homeowners. Information regarding this program is available through the Auditor's Office.
Additionally, homeowners can verify they are receiving the Primary Residential Exemption. This exemption allows for 45% of a home's fair market value to be exempt from property taxes when the property is a primary residence, regardless of the owner's age or income.
New Utah legislation now requires a Residential Exemption form to be filed with the Assessor's Office whenever there is a name change on a property. The form is available on the official website.
Public officials urge residents to be cautious about information shared online and to avoid providing personal information through unofficial forms or websites. For accurate information regarding property assessments, exemptions, or tax relief programs, residents are encouraged to contact the office directly or visit auditor.utahcounty.gov/tax-relief.
