SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Greene County residents who are eligible for the Missouri senior tax credit are urged to either apply or reapply as soon as possible in order to freeze their annual real estate tax amount under Senate Bill (SB) 190.
Both the reapplication and initial application can be found at www.countycollector.com. On the homepage, click ‘Senior Credit’ under ‘Quick Links’, then click either the green buttons to fill out the forms online or the grey buttons to print out the forms.
The 2025 application deadline is Jun. 30. For citizens that were approved for the 2024 senior tax credit, a reapplication postcard will be sent to their address by Mar. 31 that can be filled out and mailed back to Greene County. However, the process can be entirely completed online at www.countycollector.com and is quicker and more convenient.
If completing the application online, residents must list a working email as it will be used to verify your application through Adobe Acrobat. If applying for the first time, residents will need to upload a photo of a government issued identification card. See the following picture for an example renewal application:
In 2023, the Missouri Legislature passed a senior tax credit into law for counties. In 2024, eligibility requirements were changed to allow anyone 62 or older to apply for the credit. A citizen is deemed ‘age-eligible’ in the calendar year in which the individual turns 62. They can still apply that year prior to their birthdate. Additionally, to qualify, a citizen must own the property as their primary home, occupy that property, and the credit applies to only one residence.
For first-time applicants, their Greene County real estate tax amount will be locked in at the current year’s amount—as long as they reapply for the credit the following year. For those reapplying, their tax will continue to be based on the amount from their original application year.
As an example, if an annual county real estate tax bill was $1000, it would remain at that amount for future tax bills as long as the senior reapplies for the tax credit. The Missouri Senate bill’s intent was to reduce rising inflation of county real estate taxes for seniors. The costs savings will continue to grow with each passing year.
The tax credit is not an exemption. Citizens must still pay real estate taxes and will not save any money in their first year. The credit simply freezes the total real estate tax amount calculated in the first application year. However, if a citizen makes a capital improvement, like adding onto a home or building a structure, a new real estate assessment will be conducted. Improvements like new windows or roof do not count as a capital improvement.
It’s also important to note not every county in Missouri interprets the Missouri Senate bill the same and will have different credits and requirements.
Local businesses, HOA owners, and other community leaders that would like to help seniors apply for and maintain this program are encouraged to email propertytaxcredit@greenecountymo.gov for more information and digital handouts.
For a longer list of answers to frequently asked questions on the senior tax credit please visit https://greenecountymo.gov/collector/senior.php. Additional updates can be found on the Collector’s Office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CollectorGreene.