BOSTON – House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) is encouraging Massachusetts residents who are 65 or older to explore whether they qualify for the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit when filing their 2022 state tax returns.
Created by the Legislature in 1999, the Circuit Breaker offers financial relief to seniors by providing a refundable tax credit of up to $1,200 to help offset rent and property taxes paid on a principal residence. The tax credit is limited to residential properties with an assessed valuation of $912,000 or less (before residential exemptions but after abatements), calculated as of January 1, 2022.
Representative Jones noted the tax credit is available to qualifying individuals who are 65 or older before January 1, 2023, and who own or rent residential property in Massachusetts which they occupy as their principal residence. For married couples filing jointly, only one person needs to be 65 or older before January 1, 2023.
Applicants must also meet certain income eligibility requirements to qualify for the tax credit. Total annual income is capped at $64,000 for single individuals who are not the head of a household, $80,000 for heads of households, and $96,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly.
For homeowners to qualify, their Massachusetts property tax payments, together with half of their water and sewer expenses, must exceed 10% of their total Massachusetts income for the tax year. For renters, 25% of their annual Massachusetts rent must exceed 10% of their total Massachusetts income for the tax year. Seniors living in public or subsidized housing are not eligible for the Circuit Breaker.
To claim the tax credit, applicants must complete a Schedule CB (Circuit Breaker Credit) tax form and file it along with the standard Massachusetts Form 1 or Form 1-NR/PY income tax form. Representative Jones said applicants must file a Massachusetts state tax return to receive the tax credit, even if they do not owe taxes.
Additional details on the Circuit Breaker are available at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-senior-circuit-breaker-tax-credit. For more information or to request copies of the appropriate forms, please contact Representative Jones’ office directly at 617-722-2100 or e-mail Bradley.Jones@mahouse.gov. Seniors can also contact the Department of Revenue’s Customer Service Bureau at 617-887-6367 (toll-free at 1-800-392-6089) between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, with any questions about the tax credit.
