By Patrick Crowley of Hershman, Fallstrom & Crowley, Inc.
There is a Massachusetts income tax credit that many senior citizens may not be aware of. Senior citizens who are homeowners or renters and meet income and other eligibility requirements may be entitled to a Massachusetts refundable tax credit of $1,080 even if they have no Massachusetts taxes due or Massachusetts filing requirement. Senior citizen homeowners may claim the credit if they paid more than 10% of their total income for real estate taxes and water and sewer charges. If you’re a renter you can count 25% of the rent paid as real estate taxes. Those seniors who have no filing requirements due to their limited income should look into filing a Massachusetts income tax return next spring as they may be due a refund of up to $1,080 for 2017. In addition, it’s not too late to file a 2014, 2015 or 2016 tax return to claim the credit if you fall into this category. For those seniors out there who have filed tax returns and weren’t aware of this credit, make sure you determine whether you are eligible for the credit in 2017. If you are, you should look into amending your previous 3 years tax returns to claim the refunds that you are due. http://www.hfctax.com/
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