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1. What forms are needed for Principal Residence / Homestead Exemption?

View the following forms:

• Homeowners Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit (Form and Instructions) (PDF)
• Request to Rescind Homeowners Principal Residence Exemption (Form and Instructions) (PDF)

2. Who qualifies for the Principal Residence / Homestead exemption?

If you own and occupy your principal residence, it may be exempt from a portion of your local school operating taxes. To claim an exemption, you must complete the Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit and file it with the Assessor's office by June 1st of the year of the claim. The Assessor's Office will adjust your taxes on your next property tax bill. Note that this is an exemption from part of the taxes and does not affect your assessment. You must own and occupy your principal residence to receive this exemption.

Owning means you hold the legal title to the principal residence or that you are currently buying it on a notarized or recorded land contract. Renters should not file this form.

Occupying means this is your principal residence, the place you intend to return to whenever you go away. It is the address that appears on your driver's license or voter registration card.

You may have only one principal residence at a time. Vacation Homes and Income property which you do not occupy as your principal residence may not be claimed. If you are living only in a part of the home you may file a partial homestead exemption. Please call the Assessor's Office at 269-781-5183. We will help you calculate the proper percentage. You may also file an exemption(s) if you own vacant and contiguous land next to your homestead property.

3. I have not been claiming a homestead exemption on my home. What should I do?

Contact our Assessing Department at 269-781-5183 to obtain the form necessary to correct your homestead status. Recent tax law changes allow the City to correct the homestead status for the current year, and with Board of Review approval, three prior years. After Board of Review approval, if you are due a refund from prior year's tax payments, your refund will be issued by the Calhoun County Treasurers Office.

Rescinding your Exemption: If you claim an exemption, then stop using the property as a principal residence, you must notify the City Assessor within 90 days of the change or you may be penalized. This can be done using the Form 2602, Request to Rescind Homeowner's Principal Residence Exemption (PDF).