By Laura Hayes, Contributing Writer
NORTHBOROUGH – Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll joined Northborough officials at the Northborough Senior Center Oct. 10 to celebrate recent tax cuts.
The $1 billion package, which was signed by Healey Oct. 4, includes an increase to the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit to double it from $1,200 to $2,400, an expanded child and family tax credit and an increase in the threshold of the estate tax.
“When I ran for office, I committed to keeping our seniors in Massachusetts by making this state more affordable, and this tax credit is a necessary step towards achieving this goal,” said Healey. “These tax cuts will bring much needed relief to the seniors throughout the state and will support them as they continue to thrive here.”
The package also includes an increase to the senior property tax volunteer program from $1,500 to $2,000.
“As many here know, the Northborough Select Board has taken substantial action in recent months to help seniors,” Select Board Chair Mitch Cohen said Oct. 10.
Earlier this year, the Select Board and Finance Director/Town Accountant Jason Little discussed increasing the limits for property tax deferral program. This was then adopted by Town Meeting. During the board’s Sept. 18 meeting, Cohen recalled that the board asked what else could be done to help seniors.
Little said the efforts dated back to the COVID-19 pandemic when staff began examining tax relief benefits for seniors in Northborough. Senior Center and the Assessors Office put a lot of effort in coming up with a list of options to offer additional relief, he said.
The Select Board voted to increase the benefit limit of the Senior Tax Work-Off Program to $1,500, set an annual aggregate benefit limit of $40,000 and remove the income limits.
According to Little, there are between 10 to 12 people who participate in the program every year with a majority of their work being performed at the Senior Center. In a memo to the board, Little said that more seniors may be interested in the program if the income limits were removed.
“I look forward to the board considering and hopefully approving this increase [to the tax work-off program limit] before the end of the year,” said Cohen Oct. 10. “Thank you very much, Gov. Healey, for giving us these important local options in reducing taxes for our most vulnerable citizens.”
RELATED CONTENT:
Tax credits possible for family caregivers (fiftyplusadvocate.com)
Massachusetts seniors may be eligible for circuit breaker tax credit (fiftyplusadvocate.com)
AARP’s Tax-Aide program provides older adults free tax help – Fifty Plus Advocate
