Property tax relief for seniors in Wisconsin

Who qualifies for the homestead credit

These rules are for claims based on 2025 (the claim you file in 2026). They come from the Department of Revenue's homestead credit fact sheet and the Schedule H instructions.

The income limit is the same whether you are single or married. It is for the whole household.

Who cannot claim it

• People living in a nursing home and getting Medicaid (Title XIX medical assistance) when they file.
• People who lived all year in housing that is exempt from property tax. Some public housing still counts, so ask your rental manager.
• People who claim the farmland preservation credit or the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit for the same year.
• People who claim the retirement income subtraction on Schedule SB for that year.
• People who got Wisconsin Works (W-2) payments, or county relief of $400 or more, for all 12 months of the year.

If you are 62 or older, you can claim the credit even if someone else could claim you as a dependent.

What counts as household income

Household income is broader than the income on your tax return. It includes:

• All your Social Security benefits, including the Medicare premiums taken out of them.
• Pensions, IRA payouts and annuities, even the parts that are not taxed.
• Interest, wages, unemployment pay, child support and cash public assistance.
• The income of your spouse if you are married.

It does not include loans, gifts, food benefits (FoodShare), or rollovers from one retirement account to another. You subtract $500 for each qualifying dependent.

How the credit is figured

The credit depends on how your property taxes or rent compare with your household income. Lower income and higher taxes or rent mean a bigger credit.

• Homeowners: You use the property taxes for 2025, even if you paid them in 2026.
• Renters: Only rent you actually paid in 2025 counts. Part of your rent is treated as property tax: 20% of your rent if heat was included, or 25% if it was not.
• Cap: The table used to figure the credit stops at $1,460 of property taxes or rent. Amounts above that do not raise the credit.
• Land: Only up to one acre counts for most homes (more if the home is part of a farm).

How to claim it, step by step

1. Gather your papers. Homeowners need the 2025 property tax bill. Renters need a rent certificate signed by the landlord for each place you rented. Bring proof of all household income, including your Social Security benefit statement.
2. Pick the form. Use Schedule H-EZ if your income is only from wages, interest, dividends, pensions and annuities (including Social Security), alimony, child support, public assistance and gambling winnings, and your situation is simple (no marriage or divorce in the year, no sale of your home, one acre or less). Everyone else uses Schedule H.
3. File. You can file for free online with WisTax, the Department of Revenue's e-file system. If you need to send attachments with an e-filed claim, you can use My Tax Account.
4. Already filed your income tax return? Write "Income Tax Return Separately Filed" at the top of Schedule H or H-EZ. Attach your rent certificate or property tax bill and any schedules it asks for.
5. Attach everything. The Department of Revenue says missing attachments will delay your refund.

Rent certificate tips

• Do not change anything on the rent certificate. If something is wrong, your landlord must fill out a new one.
• If your landlord will not sign, you may fill in the landlord part yourself only with proof, such as canceled checks or bank money orders. You may not sign it for the landlord.

Deadlines

You have up to four years to file. For a 2025 claim, the deadline for most people is April 15, 2030. You could not file a 2025 claim before January 1, 2026. If you missed the credit in an earlier year, you may still be able to claim it.

Things people often miss

• Count all of your Social Security. Use the full benefit, before Medicare premiums are taken out.- Renters qualify too. You do not need to own your home.
• A nursing home room can count as your homestead, but not if you are getting Medicaid there when you file.
• A claim cannot be filed for someone after they die. If a parent qualified, help them file while they are living.
• If you sold your home during the year, attach Schedule GL, and use Schedule H, not H-EZ.
• If one spouse moves to a nursing home, you are treated as keeping separate homes, and you must use Schedule H, not H-EZ.

Other property tax help in Wisconsin

• Lottery and Gaming Credit: If you own and live in your home as your main residence, this credit appears on your property tax bill. Check your bill to see if you got it.
• WHEDA property tax deferral loans: The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority makes property tax deferral loans for older homeowners. Call (800) 334-6873 or email [email protected] to ask about the rules.
• Veterans: Eligible veterans and surviving spouses can claim a separate property tax credit on the income tax return. You cannot claim it and the homestead credit for the same year.

Free help

• Department of Revenue homestead credit questions: Customer Service, (608) 266-2486, or email [email protected].
• Free tax preparation: Free VITA and TCE tax help sites can help older adults file Schedule H.
• Your local Aging and Disability Resource Center can help with other benefits. See all benefits in Wisconsin.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Wisconsin agencies

Check what you may qualify for