The senior property tax exemption is available to senior citizens and the surviving spouses of senior citizens. The State of Colorado pays the tax on the exempted value. When the State’s budget allows, the exemption will reduce the tax liability of the first $200,000 of the actual value of your primary residence by 50 percent up to a maximum reduction of $100,000.

Requirements of Qualifying Senior Citizen

To qualify for the Senior Exemption you must meet each of the following basic requirements:

• The applicant is at least 65 years old on January 1 of the year in which he/she applies; and
• The applicant or his/her spouse is the property owner of record and has owned the property for at least 10 consecutive years prior to January 1; and
• The applicant occupies the property as his/her primary residence and has done so for at least 10 consecutive years prior to January 1.

The surviving spouse of an eligible senior citizen is a person who meets all of the following requirements:

• The surviving spouse was legally married to a senior citizen who met the age, occupancy, and ownership requirements on any January 1 since January 1, 2002; and
• The surviving spouse has not remarried; and The surviving spouse occupied the residential property with the eligible senior citizen as his or her primary residence and still occupies the same property.

There are two application forms for the Senior Property Tax Exemption. The Short Form is for applicants who meet the basic eligibility requirements. The Long Form is for surviving spouses of eligible seniors and for applicants who may qualify under the exceptions to the basic requirements as follows:

Title to the property is held in a trust, corporate partnership or other legal entity solely for estate planning purposes. The maker of the trust, or his or her spouse, must be the qualifying senior.

• The qualifying senior, spouse, or surviving spouse is/was confined to a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility.
• The prior home was condemned by a governmental entity in an eminent domain proceeding, or was sold to such an entity on threat of such action.
• The prior home was destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable by a natural disaster.

Completed applications should be submitted to the Assessor’s Office by July 15 of the year for which the exemption is requested. Once an exemption application is filed and approved, the exemption remains in effect until a disqualifying event happens. By law, any change in the ownership or occupancy of the property must be reported within 60 days.

In 2006, voters amended Colorado’s Constitution to extend the senior exemption to disabled veterans. In 2014, Colorado’s legislature expanded this exemption to the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who previously received the exemption. Qualifying veterans are those who have a 100 percent permanent and total disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a result of a service-connected disability, and who have owned and occupied the property as their primary residence since January 1. Disabled veterans exemption applications are available from the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, 1355 S. Colorado Blvd., Bldg. C Suite 113, Denver CO 80222. Call 303-284-6077 or visit their website at www.colorado.gov/vets for more information. The filing deadline is July 1. Both the veteran and the surviving spouse forms are available from the Division of Property Taxation at www.dola.colorado.gov/dpt by clicking the “Forms” link. The Division of Property Taxation can be reached at 303-864-7777.

An individual or married couple is only entitled to one exemption, either senior citizen or disabled veteran, and only on one property. If an individual or married couple applies for exemptions on more than one property, the exemptions will be denied on each property.

Any applicant who attempts to claim exemption on more than one property, knowingly provides false information on an exemption application, or fails to provide notice of any change in the ownership or occupancy of a property will be subject to the penalties prescribed by law.

The Eagle County Assessor’s Office staff is available to help you complete your application. Please give us a call at 970-328-8640, toll free at 800-225-6136, or stop by the office at 500 Broadway, Eagle, Colorado.