An Act to Increase the Homestead Property Tax Exemption for
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0007
Sponsors: BENNETT, CARLOW
Amends: 36 MRSA §683, 36 MRSA §685

Legislative Document
No. 7
S.P. 19
In Senate, January 8, 2025
An Act to Increase the Homestead Property Tax Exemption for 
Residents 65 Years of Age or Older
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on January 6, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Taxation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BENNETT of Oxford.
Cosponsored by Representative CARLOW of Buxton and
Senators: BRENNER of Cumberland, LIBBY of Cumberland, STEWART of Aroostook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  36 MRSA §683, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 478, §1, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Exemption amount.  Except as provided in subsection 1-C and except for 
assessments for special benefits, the just value of $10,000 of the homestead of a permanent 
resident of this State who has owned a homestead in this State for the preceding 12 months 
is exempt from taxation.  Notwithstanding this subsection, a permanent resident of this 
State who loses ownership of a homestead in this State due to a tax lien foreclosure and 
subsequently regains ownership of the homestead from the municipality that foreclosed on 
the tax lien is deemed to have continuously owned the homestead and may not be 
determined ineligible for the exemption provided in this section due to the ownership of 
the homestead by the municipality.  In determining the local assessed value of the 
exemption, the assessor shall multiply the amount of the exemption by the ratio of current 
just value upon which the assessment is based as furnished in the assessor's annual return 
pursuant to section 383.  If the title to the homestead is held by the applicant jointly or in 
common with others, the exemption may not exceed $10,000 of the just value of the 
homestead, but may be apportioned among the owners who reside on the property to the 
extent of their respective interests.  A municipality responsible for administering the 
homestead exemption has no obligation to create separate accounts for each partial interest 
in a homestead owned jointly or in common.
Sec. 2.  36 MRSA §683, sub-§1-C is enacted to read:
1-C.  Exemption amount for residents 65 years of age or older.  Notwithstanding 
subsections 1 and 1-B, for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2025, the 
exemption amount for a homestead of a permanent resident of this State who is 65 years of 
age or older and who has resided on the homestead for at least the preceding 10 years is the 
just value of $75,000 of the homestead.
Sec. 3.  36 MRSA §685, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. II, §1, is 
further amended to read:
E.  For property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2023, 76% of the taxes lost by 
reason of the exemptions under subsections 1 and, 1‑B and 1-C.
SUMMARY
This bill increases the homestead property tax exemption for permanent residents of 
this State who are 65 years of age or older and have owned a homestead in the State for at 
least 10 years from $25,000 to $75,000 for property tax years beginning on or after April 
1, 2025.