circuit breaker tax relief for senior citizens
DESCRIPTION
As your state representative I am pleased to call to your attention a tax credit program designed for Massachusetts seniors, aged 65 and older, called “The Circuit Breaker.”The Circuit Breaker was established by the legislature with the hopes of alleviating some of the burdens that property taxes can create.In this brochure you will find information to help you determine your eligibility.This informational brochure is not an official tax document, therefore I encourage you to consult with a tax professional with your specific questions.Should you have any general questions on this matter please feel free to contact me at the State House by calling 617-722-2014 or by email at [email protected]TRANSCRIPT
Representative Josh S. Cutler6th Plymouth District – Pembroke, Duxbury & HansonPO Box 2775Duxbury, MA 02331
ImpoRtant InfoRmatIonTax Relief foR SenioR CiTizenSwww.joshcutler.com
Presorted StandardU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit #6
Abington, MA
Dea
r Re
siden
t,
As
your
sta
te
repr
esen
tativ
e I
am p
leas
ed t
o ca
ll to
you
r at
tent
ion
a ta
x cr
edit
prog
ram
des
igne
d fo
r M
assa
chus
etts
se
nior
s, ag
ed 6
5 an
d ol
der,
calle
d “T
he
Circ
uit
Brea
ker.”
The
Circ
uit
Brea
ker
was
est
ablis
hed
by t
he le
gisla
ture
with
the
hop
es o
f al
levi
atin
g so
me
of t
he b
urde
ns t
hat
prop
erty
tax
es c
an c
reat
e.
In t
his
broc
hure
you
will
find
in
form
atio
n to
hel
p yo
u de
term
ine
your
elig
ibili
ty. T
his
info
rmat
iona
l br
ochu
re is
not
an
offic
ial t
ax
docu
men
t, th
eref
ore
I enc
oura
ge y
ou
to c
onsu
lt w
ith a
tax
pro
fess
iona
l with
yo
ur s
peci
fic q
uest
ions
.
Shou
ld y
ou h
ave
any
gene
ral
ques
tions
on
this
mat
ter
plea
se fe
el
free
to
cont
act
me
at t
he S
tate
Hou
se
by c
allin
g 61
7-72
2-20
14 o
r by
em
ail a
t jo
sh.c
utle
r@m
ahou
se.g
ov.
Sinc
erel
y,
You
may
wish
to
cons
ult
with
a t
ax
prof
essio
nal f
or g
uida
nce
on t
hese
item
s.
Wh
at
IS
th
e
CIR
Cu
It b
Re
ak
eR
?It
’s ca
lled
the
Cir
cuit
Brea
ker T
ax C
redi
t be
caus
e it’
s “tr
igge
red”
like
an
elec
tric
al
circ
uit
brea
ker
whe
n pr
oper
ty p
aym
ents
ex
ceed
10%
of a
sen
ior
citiz
en’s
annu
al
inco
me.
Tho
se w
ho q
ualif
y w
ill s
till b
e re
quir
ed
to p
ay p
rope
rty
taxe
s to
the
ir lo
cal
com
mun
ities
. Sen
iors
will
rec
eive
a d
olla
r cr
edit
on t
heir
Mas
sach
uset
ts s
tate
in
com
e ta
xes
for
ever
y do
llar
that
the
to
tal o
f the
ir p
rope
rty
tax,
wat
er a
nd
sew
er b
ills
exce
ed 1
0% o
f the
ir in
com
e,
up t
o th
e $1
,030
max
imum
.
For
the
mos
t re
cent
dat
a av
aila
ble,
he
re is
ave
rage
sav
ings
for
our
dist
rict
:To
wn
Fi
lers
A
vg. S
avin
gsPe
mbr
oke
301
$781
Dux
bury
22
8 $8
04H
anso
n 13
7 $7
98
IS t
he
Re
a S
pe
CIa
l
ap
pl
ICa
tIo
n?
If qu
alifi
ed y
ou c
an c
laim
the
cre
dit
by
subm
ittin
g a
com
plet
ed S
ched
ule
CB,
C
ircu
it Br
eake
r C
redi
t, w
ith y
our
2013
st
ate
inco
me
tax
retu
rn.
Elig
ible
sen
iors
mus
t fil
e a
retu
rn a
nd
clai
m a
ref
und
even
if t
hey
do n
ot o
we
taxe
s.
Wh
o I
S e
lIg
Ibl
eM
assa
chus
etts
res
iden
ts w
ho:
Are
age
65
or o
lder
bef
ore
Janu
ary,
1,
• 20
14 (f
or jo
int
filer
s it
is su
ffici
ent
if on
e ta
xpay
er is
65
year
s or
old
er.)
Ow
n or
ren
t re
siden
tial p
rope
rty
in
• M
assa
chus
etts
and
occ
upy
the
prop
erty
as
a p
rim
ary
resid
ence
.
Hav
e an
ann
ual i
ncom
e of
$55
,000
or
• le
ss fo
r a
singl
e fil
er, $
69,0
00 o
r le
ss fo
r a
head
of h
ouse
hold
or
$82,
000
for
less
fo
r jo
int
filer
s.
Hav
e pr
oper
ty a
sses
sed
at n
o m
ore
• th
an $
700,
000.
Wh
o I
S n
ot
el
IgIb
le
Mar
ried
per
sons
who
do
not
file
join
tly
• fo
r th
is cr
edit.
Thos
e w
ho a
re t
he d
epen
dent
of
• an
othe
r ta
x fil
er.
Thos
e w
ho r
ecei
ve a
fede
ral o
r st
ate
• re
nt s
ubsid
y di
rect
ly; o
r th
ose
who
live
in
a p
rope
rty-
tax
exem
pt fa
cilit
y.
Thos
e w
ho’s
prop
erty
is a
sses
sed
at a
•
valu
e of
$70
0,00
0 or
mor
e.
Thos
e w
ho r
ent
from
a la
ndlo
rd w
ho is
•
not
requ
ired
to p
ay r
eal e
stat
e ta
xes.
For
your
con
veni
ence
the
wor
kshe
et o
n th
e fo
llow
ing
page
is p
rovi
ded
to g
ive
you
an id
ea o
f wha
t yo
ur t
ax c
redi
t m
ight
be.
mo
Re
ta
x t
IpS
foR
Se
nIo
RS
no
tax
Sta
tus
If qu
alifi
ed, y
ou m
ay n
ot h
ave
to p
ay M
A
inco
me
taxe
s if
your
adj
uste
d gr
oss
inco
me
is:Le
ss th
an $
8,00
0
Sing
leLe
ss th
an $
14,4
00
Hea
d of
Hou
seho
ld
(p
lus
$1,0
00 p
er d
epen
dent
)Le
ss th
an $
16,4
00
Mar
ried,
Join
t Ret
urn
(p
lus
$1,0
00 p
er d
epen
dent
)
lim
ited
Inc
ome
Cre
dit
You
may
qua
lify
if yo
ur a
djus
ted
gros
s in
com
e is
betw
een:
$8,0
00-$
14,0
00
Sing
le $1
4,40
0-$2
5,20
0 H
ead
of H
ouse
hold
(p
lus
$1,7
50 p
er d
epen
dent
) $1
6,40
0-$2
8,70
0 M
arrie
d, Jo
int R
etur
n
(plu
s $1
,750
per
dep
ende
nt)
exe
mpt
ion
for
age
65+
You
are
elig
ible
for
a $7
00 e
xem
ptio
n if
you
turn
65
befo
re th
e cl
ose
of th
e ta
x ye
ar. T
he
sam
e ex
empt
ion
is av
aila
ble
for
your
spo
use
if he
or
she
is 65
on
Dec
. 31s
t of t
he ta
x ye
ar.
Dep
ende
nt D
educ
tion
For
hous
ehol
ds w
ith e
lder
ly o
r di
sabl
ed
depe
nden
ts th
e de
duct
ion
is $3
,600
for
a sin
gle
depe
nden
t and
$7,
200
for
two
or m
ore
depe
nden
ts.
Cap
ital
gai
ns o
n Sa
le o
f R
esid
ence
On
a pr
inci
pal r
esid
ence
sol
d af
ter
Dec
embe
r 31
, 199
7, a
gain
of u
p to
$25
0,00
0 is
not
subj
ect t
o ta
x. Fo
r jo
int fi
lers
, the
gai
n ex
clud
ed fr
om ta
x is
$500
,000
.
non
-tax
able
Inc
ome
Soci
al S
ecur
ity p
aym
ents
rec
eive
d, as
w
ell a
s Vet
eran
s Adm
inist
ratio
n di
sabi
lity
com
pens
atio
n, ar
e no
t tax
able
in
Mas
sach
uset
ts.