New WA rules expand property tax relief for seniors, disabled, veterans
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- New Washington law expands property tax exemptions for seniors, disabled, and veterans.
- Veteran disability threshold cut; county income limits rise.
- Program has three relief levels, freezes taxable value, and may allow refunds.
Property tax relief is on the way for more disabled Washington homeowners and seniors.
The Washington Legislature passed a new law that will expand property tax exemptions to cover more seniors, people with disabilities and disabled veterans starting with 2027 property tax statements.
The relief greatly expands eligibility for veterans and raises the income limits to allow more seniors to qualify.
Franklin County Assessor John Rosenau said in a news release that the changes were the result of collaboration between the Washington state Association of County Assessors and legislative partners.
Under the old structure veterans needed an 80% or higher disability rating to qualify for relief. The new law cuts that down to 40%.
Who is eligible
Income guidelines to qualify for an exemption vary by county.
The current income threshold in Franklin County is $61,000, but that is being raised to $67,000 plus automatically applied exemptions of $7,500 for individuals or $15,000 for joint filers.
That effectively raised the income barrier to $74,500 for individuals and $82,000 for joint filers, according to Rosenau.
In Benton County, the new maximum income goes up to $77,000 plus the exemptions, or up to $84,500 for individuals and $92,000 for joint filers, according to the Washington state Department of Revenue.
Pierce: $85,000 plus exemptions for a total of $92,500 for individuals and $100,000 for joint filers.
Thurston: $83,000 plus exemptions for a total of $90,500 for individuals and $98,000 for joint filers.
Whatcom: $72,000 plus exemptions for a total of $79,500 for individuals and $87,000 for joint filers.
Applicants have to reside in their home for at least six months of each calendar year. Residency requirements may also be met through residence in an approved care facility, Rosenau said.
Homeowners can also reduce their qualifying income through a variety of allowable deductions including Medicare premiums, Medicare supplemental insurance premiums, out-of-pocket prescription expenses and in-home care costs. Veteran’s disability income does not go toward the annual income.
How it works
The program has three levels of property tax relief. Homeowners already enrolled would automatically be moved to the new qualifying level, if applicable. It also freezes the taxable value of the home to the first year the applicant qualifies.
Level 1 will start at about 75% of the total income limit, or $50,000 for Franklin County. Homeowners are “exempt from paying excess levies, Part 2 of the state school levy, and regular levies on $60,000 or 60% of the assessed taxable value, whichever is greater.”
Excess levies are typically voter-approved levies, according to the Department of Revenue.
Level 2 will start at about 86% of the total income limit, or $58,000 in Franklin County. Homeowners are “exempt from paying excess levies, Part 2 of the state school levy, and regular levies on $50,000 or 35% of the assessed taxable value, whichever is greater (but not more than $70,000 of the taxable value).”
Level 3 goes up to the maximum income to be eligible. Homeowners are “exempt from paying excess levies and Part 2 of the state school levy.”
Those who don’t meet the exemption income limits may still qualify for a deferral. If a homeowner previously met the requirements, but was not aware they were eligible, they may qualify for a refund for prior years.
Residents who believe they might qualify under the current rules should contact the Franklin County Assessor’s office at 509-545-3506. Homeowners can contact the Benton County Assessor’s office at 509-735-2394
Visit the Department of Revenue’s website for contact information for other counties.
Those who might qualify under the new income guidelines should wait until they have their 2026 federal income tax returns and all supporting documents.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 12:04 PM.
