Note: This version of section amended by P.L.156-2024, SEC.11, effective 1-1-2024. See also following version of this section amended by P.L.136-2024, SEC.14, effective 1-1-2025.

     Sec. 37. (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 that is owned by a trust if the individual is an individual described in section 17.9 of this chapter; 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 (q), 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 (m), 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 the lesser of:

(1) 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

(2) for assessment dates:

(A) before January 1, 2023, forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000); or

(B) after December 31, 2022, forty-eight thousand dollars ($48,000).

     (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. To obtain the deduction for a desired calendar year in which property taxes are first due and payable, the statement must be completed and dated in the immediately preceding calendar year and filed with the county auditor on or before January 5 of the calendar year in which the property taxes are first due and payable.

     (f) Except as provided in subsection (k), 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 (i) 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.

     (g) The department of local government finance may adopt rules or guidelines concerning the application for a deduction under this section.

     (h) 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 (k), 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.

     (i) 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 (after December 31, 2016). 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.

     (j) 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.

     (k) 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 license information, and voter registration information.

     (l) 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.

     (m) 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.

     (n) 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.

     (o) 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 (n).

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.

     (p) 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.

     (q) 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.

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.