§ 6-1.1-12-37 — Standard deduction for homesteads; amount; statement to apply for deduction; notice of ineligibility for deduction; limitations on deduction; homestead property data base

(a) The following definitions apply
throughout this section:
(1) "Dwelling" means any of the following:
(A) Residential real property improvements that an individual
uses as the individual's residence, limited to a single house and
a single garage, regardless of whether the single garage is
attached to the single house or detached from the single house.
(B) A mobile home that is not assessed as real property that an
individual uses as the individual's residence.
(C) A manufactured home that is not assessed as real property
that an individual uses as the individual's residence.
(2) "Homestead" means an individual's principal place of
residence:
(A) that is located in Indiana;
(B) that:
(i) the individual owns;
(ii) the individual is buying under a contract recorded in the
county recorder's office, or evidenced by a memorandum of
contract recorded in the county recorder's office under IC 36-2-11-20, that provides that the individual is to pay the
property taxes on the residence, and that obligates the owner
to convey title to the individual upon completion of all of the
individual's contract obligations;
(iii) the individual is entitled to occupy as a
tenant-stockholder (as defined in 26 U.S.C. 216) of a
cooperative housing corporation (as defined in 26 U.S.C.
216); or
(iv) is a residence described in section 17.9 of this chapter
(before its expiration) that is owned by a trust if the
individual is an individual described in section 17.9 of this
chapter (before its expiration); and
(C) that consists of a dwelling and includes up to one (1) acre
of land immediately surrounding that dwelling, and any of the
following improvements:
(i) Any number of decks, patios, gazebos, or pools.
(ii) One (1) additional building that is not part of the dwelling
if the building is predominantly used for a residential purpose
and is not used as an investment property or as a rental
property.
(iii) One (1) additional residential yard structure other than a
deck, patio, gazebo, or pool.
Except as provided in subsection (r), the term does not include
property owned by a corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, or other entity not described in this subdivision.
(b) Each year a homestead is eligible for a standard deduction from
the assessed value of the homestead for an assessment date. Except as
provided in subsection (n), the deduction provided by this section
applies to property taxes first due and payable for an assessment date
only if an individual has an interest in the homestead described in
subsection (a)(2)(B) on:
(1) the assessment date; or
(2) any date in the same year after an assessment date that a
statement is filed under subsection (e) or section 44 of this
chapter, if the property consists of real property.
If more than one (1) individual or entity qualifies property as a
homestead under subsection (a)(2)(B) for an assessment date, only one
(1) standard deduction from the assessed value of the homestead may
be applied for the assessment date. Subject to subsection (c), the
auditor of the county shall record and make the deduction for the
individual or entity qualifying for the deduction.
(c) Except as provided in section 40.5 of this chapter, the total
amount of the deduction that a person may receive under this section
for a particular year is:
(1) for assessment dates before January 1, 2025, the lesser of:
(A) sixty percent (60%) of the assessed value of the real
property, mobile home not assessed as real property, or
manufactured home not assessed as real property; or
(B) forty-eight thousand dollars ($48,000); or
(2) for assessment dates after December 31, 2024:
(A) in 2025, forty-eight thousand dollars ($48,000);
(B) in 2026, forty thousand dollars ($40,000);
(C) in 2027, thirty thousand dollars ($30,000);
(D) in 2028, twenty thousand dollars ($20,000); and
(E) in 2029, ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Beginning with the 2030 assessment date, and each assessment date
thereafter, the deduction amount under this section is zero (0).
Application of the phase down under this section for assessment dates
after December 31, 2024, with regard to mobile homes that are not
assessed as real property and manufactured homes not assessed as real
property shall be construed and applied in the same manner in terms of
timing and consistent with its application for real property.
(d) A person who has sold real property, a mobile home not assessed
as real property, or a manufactured home not assessed as real property
to another person under a contract that provides that the contract buyer
is to pay the property taxes on the real property, mobile home, or
manufactured home may not claim the deduction provided under this
section with respect to that real property, mobile home, or
manufactured home.
(e) Except as provided in sections 17.8 and 44 of this chapter and
subject to section 45 of this chapter, an individual who desires to claim
the deduction provided by this section must file a certified statement on
forms prescribed by the department of local government finance with
the auditor of the county in which the homestead is located. The
statement must include:
(1) the parcel number or key number of the property and the name
of the city, town, or township in which the property is located;
(2) the name of any other location in which the applicant or the
applicant's spouse owns, is buying, or has a beneficial interest in
residential real property;
(3) the names of:
(A) the applicant and the applicant's spouse (if any):
(i) as the names appear in the records of the United States
Social Security Administration for the purposes of the
issuance of a Social Security card and Social Security
number; or
(ii) that they use as their legal names when they sign their
names on legal documents;
if the applicant is an individual; or
(B) each individual who qualifies property as a homestead
under subsection (a)(2)(B) and the individual's spouse (if any):
(i) as the names appear in the records of the United States
Social Security Administration for the purposes of the
issuance of a Social Security card and Social Security
number; or
(ii) that they use as their legal names when they sign their
names on legal documents;
if the applicant is not an individual; and
(4) either:
(A) the last five (5) digits of the applicant's Social Security
number and the last five (5) digits of the Social Security
number of the applicant's spouse (if any); or
(B) if the applicant or the applicant's spouse (if any) does not
have a Social Security number, any of the following for that
individual:
(i) The last five (5) digits of the individual's driver's license
number.
(ii) The last five (5) digits of the individual's state
identification card number.
(iii) The last five (5) digits of a preparer tax identification
number that is obtained by the individual through the Internal
Revenue Service of the United States.
(iv) If the individual does not have a driver's license, a state
identification card, or an Internal Revenue Service preparer
tax identification number, the last five (5) digits of a control
number that is on a document issued to the individual by the
United States government.
If a form or statement provided to the county auditor under this section,
IC 6-1.1-22-8.1, or IC 6-1.1-22.5-12 includes the telephone number or
part or all of the Social Security number of a party or other number
described in subdivision (4)(B) of a party, the telephone number and
the Social Security number or other number described in subdivision
(4)(B) included are confidential. The statement may be filed in person
or by mail. If the statement is mailed, the mailing must be postmarked
on or before the last day for filing. The statement applies for that first
year and any succeeding year for which the deduction is allowed.
(f) To obtain the deduction for a desired calendar year under this
section in which property taxes are first due and payable, the individual
desiring to claim the deduction must do the following as applicable:
(1) Complete, date, and file the certified statement described in
subsection (e) on or before January 15 of the calendar year in
which the property taxes are first due and payable.
(2) Satisfy any recording requirements on or before January 15 of
the calendar year in which the property taxes are first due and
payable for a homestead described in subsection (a)(2).
(g) Except as provided in subsection (l), if a person who is
receiving, or seeks to receive, the deduction provided by this section in
the person's name:
(1) changes the use of the individual's property so that part or all
of the property no longer qualifies for the deduction under this
section; or
(2) is not eligible for a deduction under this section because the
person is already receiving:
(A) a deduction under this section in the person's name as an
individual or a spouse; or
(B) a deduction under the law of another state that is equivalent
to the deduction provided by this section;
the person must file a certified statement with the auditor of the county,
notifying the auditor of the person's ineligibility, not more than sixty
(60) days after the date of the change in eligibility. A person who fails
to file the statement required by this subsection may, under IC 6-1.1-36-17, be liable for any additional taxes that would have been
due on the property if the person had filed the statement as required by
this subsection plus a civil penalty equal to ten percent (10%) of the
additional taxes due. The civil penalty imposed under this subsection
is in addition to any interest and penalties for a delinquent payment that
might otherwise be due. One percent (1%) of the total civil penalty
collected under this subsection shall be transferred by the county to the
department of local government finance for use by the department in
establishing and maintaining the homestead property data base under
subsection (j) and, to the extent there is money remaining, for any other
purposes of the department. This amount becomes part of the property
tax liability for purposes of this article.
(h) The department of local government finance may adopt rules or
guidelines concerning the application for a deduction under this
section.
(i) This subsection does not apply to property in the first year for
which a deduction is claimed under this section if the sole reason that
a deduction is claimed on other property is that the individual or
married couple maintained a principal residence at the other property
on the assessment date in the same year in which an application for a
deduction is filed under this section or, if the application is for a
homestead that is assessed as personal property, on the assessment date
in the immediately preceding year and the individual or married couple
is moving the individual's or married couple's principal residence to the
property that is the subject of the application. Except as provided in
subsection (l), the county auditor may not grant an individual or a
married couple a deduction under this section if:
(1) the individual or married couple, for the same year, claims the
deduction on two (2) or more different applications for the
deduction; and
(2) the applications claim the deduction for different property.
(j) The department of local government finance shall provide secure
access to county auditors to a homestead property data base that
includes access to the homestead owner's name and the numbers
required from the homestead owner under subsection (e)(4) for the sole
purpose of verifying whether an owner is wrongly claiming a deduction
under this chapter or a credit under IC 6-1.1-20.4, IC 6-1.1-20.6, or IC 6-3.6-5 (before its expiration). Each county auditor shall submit data
on deductions applicable to the current tax year on or before March 15
of each year in a manner prescribed by the department of local
government finance.
(k) A county auditor may require an individual to provide evidence
proving that the individual's residence is the individual's principal place
of residence as claimed in the certified statement filed under subsection
(e). The county auditor may limit the evidence that an individual is
required to submit to a state income tax return, a valid driver's license,
or a valid voter registration card showing that the residence for which
the deduction is claimed is the individual's principal place of residence.
The county auditor may not deny an application filed under section 44
of this chapter because the applicant does not have a valid driver's
license or state identification card with the address of the homestead
property. The department of local government finance shall work with
county auditors to develop procedures to determine whether a property
owner that is claiming a standard deduction or homestead credit is not
eligible for the standard deduction or homestead credit because the
property owner's principal place of residence is outside Indiana.
(l) A county auditor shall grant an individual a deduction under this
section regardless of whether the individual and the individual's spouse
claim a deduction on two (2) different applications and each
application claims a deduction for different property if the property
owned by the individual's spouse is located outside Indiana and the
individual files an affidavit with the county auditor containing the
following information:
(1) The names of the county and state in which the individual's
spouse claims a deduction substantially similar to the deduction
allowed by this section.
(2) A statement made under penalty of perjury that the following
are true:
(A) That the individual and the individual's spouse maintain
separate principal places of residence.
(B) That neither the individual nor the individual's spouse has
an ownership interest in the other's principal place of residence.
(C) That neither the individual nor the individual's spouse has,
for that same year, claimed a standard or substantially similar
deduction for any property other than the property maintained
as a principal place of residence by the respective individuals.
A county auditor may require an individual or an individual's spouse to
provide evidence of the accuracy of the information contained in an
affidavit submitted under this subsection. The evidence required of the
individual or the individual's spouse may include state income tax
returns, excise tax payment information, property tax payment
information, driver's license information, and voter registration
information.
(m) If:
(1) a property owner files a statement under subsection (e) to
claim the deduction provided by this section for a particular
property; and
(2) the county auditor receiving the filed statement determines
that the property owner's property is not eligible for the deduction;
the county auditor shall inform the property owner of the county
auditor's determination in writing. If a property owner's property is not
eligible for the deduction because the county auditor has determined
that the property is not the property owner's principal place of
residence, the property owner may appeal the county auditor's
determination as provided in IC 6-1.1-15. The county auditor shall
inform the property owner of the owner's right to appeal when the
county auditor informs the property owner of the county auditor's
determination under this subsection.
(n) An individual is entitled to the deduction under this section for
a homestead for a particular assessment date if:
(1) either:
(A) the individual's interest in the homestead as described in
subsection (a)(2)(B) is conveyed to the individual after the
assessment date, but within the calendar year in which the
assessment date occurs; or
(B) the individual contracts to purchase the homestead after the
assessment date, but within the calendar year in which the
assessment date occurs;
(2) on the assessment date:
(A) the property on which the homestead is currently located
was vacant land; or
(B) the construction of the dwelling that constitutes the
homestead was not completed; and
(3) either:
(A) the individual files the certified statement required by
subsection (e); or
(B) a sales disclosure form that meets the requirements of
section 44 of this chapter is submitted to the county assessor on
or before December 31 of the calendar year for the individual's
purchase of the homestead.
An individual who satisfies the requirements of subdivisions (1)
through (3) is entitled to the deduction under this section for the
homestead for the assessment date, even if on the assessment date the
property on which the homestead is currently located was vacant land
or the construction of the dwelling that constitutes the homestead was
not completed. The county auditor shall apply the deduction for the
assessment date and for the assessment date in any later year in which
the homestead remains eligible for the deduction. A homestead that
qualifies for the deduction under this section as provided in this
subsection is considered a homestead for purposes of section 37.5 of
this chapter and IC 6-1.1-20.6.
(o) This subsection applies to an application for the deduction
provided by this section that is filed for an assessment date occurring
after December 31, 2013. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
section, an individual buying a mobile home that is not assessed as real
property or a manufactured home that is not assessed as real property
under a contract providing that the individual is to pay the property
taxes on the mobile home or manufactured home is not entitled to the
deduction provided by this section unless the parties to the contract
comply with IC 9-17-6-17.
(p) This subsection:
(1) applies to an application for the deduction provided by this
section that is filed for an assessment date occurring after
December 31, 2013; and
(2) does not apply to an individual described in subsection (o).
The owner of a mobile home that is not assessed as real property or a
manufactured home that is not assessed as real property must attach a
copy of the owner's title to the mobile home or manufactured home to
the application for the deduction provided by this section.
(q) For assessment dates after 2013, the term "homestead" includes
property that is owned by an individual who:
(1) is serving on active duty in any branch of the armed forces of
the United States;
(2) was ordered to transfer to a location outside Indiana; and
(3) was otherwise eligible, without regard to this subsection, for
the deduction under this section for the property for the
assessment date immediately preceding the transfer date specified
in the order described in subdivision (2).
For property to qualify under this subsection for the deduction provided
by this section, the individual described in subdivisions (1) through (3)
must submit to the county auditor a copy of the individual's transfer
orders or other information sufficient to show that the individual was
ordered to transfer to a location outside Indiana. The property continues
to qualify for the deduction provided by this section until the individual
ceases to be on active duty, the property is sold, or the individual's
ownership interest is otherwise terminated, whichever occurs first.
Notwithstanding subsection (a)(2), the property remains a homestead
regardless of whether the property continues to be the individual's
principal place of residence after the individual transfers to a location
outside Indiana. The property continues to qualify as a homestead
under this subsection if the property is leased while the individual is
away from Indiana and is serving on active duty, if the individual has
lived at the property at any time during the past ten (10) years.
Otherwise, the property ceases to qualify as a homestead under this
subsection if the property is leased while the individual is away from
Indiana. Property that qualifies as a homestead under this subsection
shall also be construed as a homestead for purposes of section 37.5 of
this chapter.
(r) As used in this section, "homestead" includes property that
satisfies each of the following requirements:
(1) The property is located in Indiana and consists of a dwelling
and includes up to one (1) acre of land immediately surrounding
that dwelling, and any of the following improvements:
(A) Any number of decks, patios, gazebos, or pools.
(B) One (1) additional building that is not part of the dwelling
if the building is predominately used for a residential purpose
and is not used as an investment property or as a rental
property.
(C) One (1) additional residential yard structure other than a
deck, patio, gazebo, or pool.
(2) The property is the principal place of residence of an
individual.
(3) The property is owned by an entity that is not described in
subsection (a)(2)(B).
(4) The individual residing on the property is a shareholder,
partner, or member of the entity that owns the property.
(5) The property was eligible for the standard deduction under
this section on March 1, 2009.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.332-1989(ss), SEC.10. Amended by P.L.240-1991(ss2), SEC.47; P.L.6-1997, SEC.57; P.L.291-2001, SEC.142; P.L.192-2002(ss), SEC.32; P.L.162-2006, SEC.1; P.L.224-2007, SEC.3; P.L.146-2008, SEC.115; P.L.1-2009, SEC.38; P.L.87-2009, SEC.3; P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.110; P.L.113-2010, SEC.27; P.L.172-2011, SEC.28; P.L.137-2012, SEC.17; P.L.288-2013, SEC.3; P.L.203-2013, SEC.4; P.L.2-2014, SEC.19; P.L.166-2014, SEC.2; P.L.25-2015, SEC.1; P.L.148-2015, SEC.7; P.L.207-2015, SEC.1; P.L.245-2015, SEC.6; P.L.100-2016, SEC.3; P.L.203-2016, SEC.4; P.L.197-2016, SEC.12; P.L.85-2017, SEC.15; P.L.127-2017, SEC.1; P.L.255-2017, SEC.13; P.L.214-2019, SEC.16; P.L.257-2019, SEC.28; P.L.121-2019, SEC.1; P.L.156-2020, SEC.15; P.L.174-2022, SEC.22; P.L.182-2023, SEC.2; P.L.236-2023, SEC.23; P.L.156-2024, SEC.11; P.L.136-2024, SEC.14; P.L.1-2025, SEC.79; P.L.68-2025, SEC.44.