Property tax relief for seniors in Minnesota

Homestead Credit Refund (homeowners)

This refund pays back part of the property tax on your home when the tax is high compared with your income.

Who qualifies

• You owned and lived in your Minnesota home on January 2, 2026, and it is classified as your homestead (or you applied and were approved).
• You are a Minnesota resident or part-year resident, and no property taxes on the home are delinquent.
• You cannot be claimed as someone else's dependent.
• Your household income is less than $142,490 for refunds filed in 2026 (based on 2025 income).

Household income starts with your federal adjusted gross income and adds money that is not taxed, such as nontaxable Social Security and government assistance. There are some subtractions. If you were born before January 2, 1961, or are disabled, you can subtract up to $5,200.

How much you get

The refund depends on your household income and your property tax. In 2026, the legislature increased the refund for 2025 by 14.88%. Claims filed before July 15, 2026 got the increase automatically.

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Special property tax refund (homeowners, no income limit)

If the net property tax on your home went up a lot from one year to the next, you may get an extra refund.

• You owned and lived in the same home on January 2, 2025 and January 2, 2026.
• Your net tax went up more than 12% from 2025 to 2026, and by at least $100.
• If your 2026 tax statement lists new improvements, a worksheet in the instructions adjusts the math.
• The refund is up to $1,000.

You claim it on Schedule M1PR-SR with Form M1PR.

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Renter's Credit

Renters claim the Renter's Credit with their income tax return.

• Income: household income below $77,570 (2025 tax year).
• Amount: up to $2,720. It is refundable, so you can get it even if you owe no income tax.
• How to claim: fill out Schedule M1RENT and file it with your Minnesota income tax return (Form M1).
• You need a Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) from your landlord. If you cannot get one, ask the Department of Revenue for a Rent Paid Affidavit.

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Senior Citizens' Property Tax Deferral

This program lets you pay part of your property tax later. It does not forgive the tax.

• Age: 65 or older. If you are married, one spouse must be 65 and the other at least 62.
• Income: household income of $96,000 or less.
• Home: you or your spouse owned and lived in the home for the last 5 years. There can be no state or federal tax liens or judgment liens, and mortgages and other debts on the home cannot be more than 75% of its estimated market value.
• How it works: you pay no more than 3% of your household income toward property tax. The state lends the rest to the county for you.
• Paying it back: the deferred tax plus interest must be repaid. A tax lien is placed on your home, and the amount must be paid before the title can pass to someone else.
• Apply: use Form CR-SCD, from revenue.state.mn.us or your county auditor's office. Send it by November 1 to defer the next year's taxes (November 1, 2026 for 2027). Questions: 651-556-4803.

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How to file

1. Homeowners: use your 2026 Statement of Property Taxes Payable (mailed in March 2026). File Form M1PR electronically, or mail it to Minnesota Property Tax Refund, Mail Station 0020, 600 N. Robert St., St. Paul, MN 55146-0020. Do not mail your tax statement with it.
2. Renters: get your Certificate of Rent Paid and file Schedule M1RENT with Form M1.
3. Report all household income, including Social Security and pensions.
4. Deadlines: for refunds based on 2025 income, the due date was August 17, 2026, and the last day to file is August 16, 2027.

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Things people miss

• You can get the homeowner refund even if you do not owe income tax. M1PR is its own form.
• The special refund has no income limit. Check it if your tax jumped.
• Renters claim on the income tax return, using Schedule M1RENT with Form M1.
• Late filing is allowed up to the final deadline.

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Free help

• Minnesota Department of Revenue: 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094.
• Free tax help for people 60 and older: 651-297-3724 or 1-800-657-3989.
• Senior Citizens' Property Tax Deferral: 651-556-4803.
• Minnesota Aging Pathways: 1-800-333-2433, for help with other benefits.

See also all benefits in Minnesota.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Minnesota agencies

Check what you may qualify for