Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief

How it works

Clay County’s Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program provides a property tax credit for eligible homeowners in Clay County, Missouri. The county says the ordinance was passed November 30, 2023, with provisions taking effect January 1, 2025. Eligible residents apply to participate and, if approved, receive a tax relief calculation based on the difference between a base year and the current year.

What the money covers

This is a real estate property tax relief program, not a hardening grant or retrofit subsidy. The page does not describe funding for wildfire, wind, hail, flood, earthquake, or other mitigation work. Instead, it reduces the homeowner’s real estate property tax liability on the eligible primary residence.

Amounts and matching

The page does not give a dollar cap or fixed credit amount. It says the tax relief is calculated by subtracting the real estate property tax of the base year from the current year’s real estate property tax. The tax relief is not retroactive. The page also notes that taxes may still rise incrementally because certain levies are exempt from the program, including debt-payment levies and the State of Missouri Blind Fund.

How to apply

Clay County says the program is free. Forms are intended to be available online and in person. Applicants must submit an annual application/affidavit; participants must reapply every year after the initial application to confirm eligibility. If a participant moves to a new primary residence, a new application is required and a new base year is established.

Timing and deadlines

For 2026, the application and renewal period ran from January 1, 2026 through March 31, 2026. The county states this was the only application opportunity for 2026 and the program is now closed for that cycle. Yearly affidavits are taken during the same January 1 to March 31 window each year.