Chapter
348
2006 -- S 2935
Enacted 07/07/06
A N A
C T
RELATING TO TAXATION
Introduced By: Senators
Connors, Badeau, and Issa
Date Introduced: March 15,
2006
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Title 44 of the General Laws entitled "TAXATION" is hereby amended
by
adding
thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER 33.4
CUMBERLAND SENIOR RESIDENT PROPERTY TAX SERVICES
CREDIT PROGRAM
44-33.4-1.
Program established. -- A senior resident property tax service
credit program
is
hereby established, commencing on July 1, 2006, to allow qualified senior
residents, as
determined
by the provisions of this act, to receive limited real estate tax credits in
exchange for
services
provided to the town of Cumberland municipal government, as described in this
act.
44-33.4-2.
Age and income limits. -- Taxpayers qualifying for a senior resident
property
tax
service must be sixty-five (65) years of age or older by July 1, 2006 to earn
property tax credit
relief
under this program. The taxpayers must reside at the property as a full-time
resident or
residents,
and have a gross annual income from all sources at or below the low income
level for
Providence
County for the previous calendar year as published by the U.S. Department of
Housing
and Urban Development for a two (2) person household for jointly held property,
or in
the
case of a single person, at or below the published level as aforementioned for a
one-person
household.
44-33.4-3.
Ownership. -- The taxpayer or taxpayers applying for the senior
resident
property
tax service credit program must be the owner of the respective real estate to
which the
credit
will apply. If the property is held in trust, the beneficiary or beneficiaries
of the trust must
be
the taxpayer or taxpayers applying for the senior resident property tax service
credit program.
44-33.4-4.
Maximum abatement and hourly rate. -- The maximum credit taxpayers
may
earn is five hundred dollars ($500) per fiscal year. Credit for service will be
at the state of
Rhode
Island hourly minimum wage at the time the service is performed.
44-33.4-5.
Personal exemptions and deferrals. -- Taxpayers may earn tax credits
under
the
service credit program in addition to any property tax exemptions for which
they may be
eligible
under any provision of the general or public law, or town of Cumberland
ordinances.
44-33.4-6.
Adoption of local program rules. -- The Cumberland mayor may
establish
rules
and procedures for the senior property tax service credit program. These rules
and
procedures
will assure coordination of the assignment of program participants to the
various
municipal
departments where they will perform their services.
44-33.4-7.
Certification of service. -- The board, officer or department
supervising the
senior
taxpayer's service must certify to the assessor the hours of service performed
by the
taxpayer
and must be received by the tax assessor by March 31st of each year.
44-33.4-8.
Status of volunteers. -- Senior taxpayers performing services for
the town of
Cumberland
government in return for property tax reductions shall be considered employees
for
the
purposes of municipal tort liability. The town of Cumberland may be liable for
damages for
injuries
to third-parties and for indemnification of the seniors only to the same extent
as they are
in
the case of injuries caused by regular municipal employees.
44-33.4-9.
Taxation on services prohibited. -- In no instance shall the amount
by which
a
person's property tax liability is reduced in exchange for the provision of
services provided
herein,
be considered income, wages or employment for the purposes of taxation, for the
purposes
of
withholding taxes, for the purposes of unemployment insurance, for the purposes
of workers'
compensation,
or any other applicable provisions of the Rhode Island general laws.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC02774
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