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Most older adults want to stay in their homes as they age. But owning a home is getting more expensive as property taxes surge. 

Wisconsin homeowners last December saw the largest school property tax increase in more than three decades, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Property tax increases disproportionately affect older adults who rely on fixed incomes through pensions, savings and Social Security.

At a Northwoods Senior Breakfast this spring in Merrill, one group of attendees asked: How can older adults get help paying property taxes? Wisconsin Watch passed that question along to three experts: 

• Nicole Heckman, vice president of financial wellbeing at AARP Foundation.
• Bekki Schmitt, director of Milwaukee’s Aging and Disabilities Resource Center.
• Jenny Fasula, executive director of the Foundation for Rural Housing.

Here’s what we learned: 

Where to start

The AARP Foundation offers an online tool to check eligibility for available assistance programs. Eligibility for assistance is often broader than people assume, Heckman said.

Aging and disability resource centers, or ADRCs, can provide information about local assistance programs and other savings opportunities. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services lists ADRCs by county online. 

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s website lists the latest information on property tax assistance programs and eligibility requirements. Municipalities may also offer local aid. 

People can also seek help from the Foundation for Rural Housing. 

Statewide options

“There are no great options for people who get behind on property taxes,” Fasula said. She wants to see the state expand assistance. Here are four existing Wisconsin programs to help offset or delay high property tax bills.

• Homestead credit: This tax credit helps low-income homeowners and renters. People can get help claiming the credit through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites or AARP Foundation tax assistance programs. Inflation has reduced the value of the credit in recent years, as Wisconsin Watch has reported.

• School property tax credit: Homeowners and renters can claim this nonrefundable tax credit along with the Homestead credit through their income tax return. 

• Property tax deferral loan program: Homeowners 65 and older can delay paying property taxes through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. Borrowers repay the loan, plus interest, once the home is sold or transfers ownership.

• Lottery and gaming credit: Eligible homeowners can apply online or through their county treasurer to receive a credit toward their property tax bills.

Need help paying property taxes? Here’s where older Wisconsinites can find assistance is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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A deal between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders to give Wisconsin income tax filers a rebate would have excluded about 30% of filers.

That’s because the deal provided rebates up to $300 for individuals and $600 for married joint filers only to residents who paid state income taxes for 2024.

The deal, which failed to pass in the state Senate, also reduced property taxes, increased funding for schools and ended taxes on tips and some overtime pay.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, about 2.1 million residents would have received the rebates. Based on that and the U.S. Census estimates, 55% of adults would not be eligible for tax rebates based on not having owed taxes or because they did not file a return. Of those who filed, about 26% were not eligible for a rebate, LFB estimated.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

• Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau Estimated Distribution of Individual Income Tax Rebate under May 2026 Special Session LRB-6707 and LRB-6710 (“the bill”)
• U.S. Census Age and Sex
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue Individual Income Tax – Filing Requirements

Did a proposed bipartisan Wisconsin tax rebate exclude about 30% of filers? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.