Revenue office ready to release tax refunds

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
More than 1,500 Morgan County property owners who failed to get full credit for their homestead exemption in 2006 can expect to receive a tax refund in the mail within the next week, according to Morgan County Revenue Commissioner Amanda Scott.
King’s opinion overturned a 1979 AG opinion that required revenue commissioners to credit homestead exemptions based on property owners’ ownership interest in real property. It states that property owned by a person who meets criteria to claim a homestead exemption or the principal residence exemption shall receive the full exemption.
All counties are required to issue refunds covering tax years 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Scott said her office has identified 1,353 property owners who are eligible for a refund based on property taxes paid in 2005 and 1,267 based on taxes paid in 2004. The total amount to be refunded for those years is $71,717 and $68,148, respectively.
Scott said refunds will go to mortgage companies in cases where they have responsibility for paying property taxes from an escrow fund of the mortgagee. Refunds made in phases two and three will be preceded by the mailing of refund questionnaire forms to affected property owner.
That form will be completed and filed with the revenue department as a refund request.