Definitions

1. Benefit base. "Benefit base" means property taxes accrued or rent constituting property taxes accrued. In the case of a claimant paying both rent and property taxes for a homestead, benefit base means both property taxes accrued and rent constituting property taxes accrued. The benefit base may not exceed $3,350 for single-member households and $4,400 for households with 2 or more members. 2. Claimant. "Claimant" means an individual who has filed a claim under this chapter and who was domiciled in this State and occupied a homestead in this State during the entire year for which a claim for relief under this chapter is filed. "Claimant" also includes an individual who has filed a claim under this chapter and who was domiciled in this State and owned or otherwise maintained a homestead in this State during the entire year for which the claim for relief under this chapter is filed and occupied that homestead for at least 6 months during that year. Regardless of how many names of individuals appear on the property deed, the person who meets the qualifications described in this subsection and proves sole responsibility for the payment of the property taxes on the subject property is the claimant with respect to that property. If 2 or more individuals meet the qualifications in this subsection and share the payment of the rent or the responsibility for the payment of the property taxes, each individual may apply on the basis of the rent paid or the property taxes levied on the homestead that reflect the ownership percentage of the claimant and the claimant's household. 3. Elderly household. "Elderly household" means a household in which, during the year for which relief is requested: 4. Gross rent. "Gross rent" means rental paid at arm's length solely for the right of occupancy of a homestead, exclusive of charges for any utilities, services, furniture, furnishings or personal property appliances furnished by the landlord as part of the rental agreement, whether or not expressly set out in the rental agreement. If the landlord and tenant have not dealt with each other at arm's length, and the State Tax Assessor is satisfied that the gross rent charged was excessive, the State Tax Assessor may adjust the gross rent to a reasonable amount for purposes of this chapter. 5. Homestead. "Homestead" means the dwelling owned or rented by the claimant or held in a revocable living trust for the benefit of the claimant and occupied by the claimant and the claimant's dependents as a home, and may consist of a part of a multidwelling or multipurpose building and a part of the land, up to 10 acres, upon which it is built. "Owned" includes a vendee in possession under a land contract and of one or more joint tenants or tenants in common and includes possession under a legally binding agreement that allows the owner of the dwelling to transfer the property but continue to occupy the dwelling as a home until some future event stated in the agreement. 6. Household. "Household" means a claimant and spouse and members of the household for whom the claimant under this chapter is entitled to claim an exemption as a dependent under Part 8 for the year for which relief is requested. 7. Household income. "Household income" means all income received by all persons of a household in a calendar year while members of the household. 8. Household income eligibility adjustment factor. "Household income eligibility adjustment factor" means one plus the annualized cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security retirement benefits during the year for which relief is requested. 9. Income. "Income" means Maine adjusted gross income determined in accordance with Part 8 , modified as provided by this subsection. 10. Property taxes accrued. "Property taxes accrued" means property taxes exclusive of special assessment, delinquent interest and charges for service levied on a claimant's homestead in this State as of April 1, 1972, or any tax year thereafter. If a claimant receives an abatement of property taxes based on hardship or poverty pursuant to section 841, subsection 2 during the year for which relief is requested, "property taxes accrued" means only the portion of property taxes levied that was not abated during the year for which the claimant requests relief. If a homestead is owned by 2 or more persons or entities as joint tenants or tenants in common, and one or more persons or entities are not members of the claimant's household, "property taxes accrued" is that part of property taxes levied on the homestead that reflects the ownership percentage of the claimant and the claimant's household. If a claimant and spouse own their homestead for part of the year for which relief is requested and rent it or a different homestead for part of the same tax year, "property taxes accrued" means taxes levied on the homestead on April 1st, multiplied by the percentage of 12 months that the property was owned and occupied by the household as its homestead during the year for which relief is requested. When a household owns and occupies 2 or more different homesteads in this State in the same calendar year, property taxes accrued relate only to the total of the property taxes owed for the time that each property was occupied by the household as a homestead. To calculate the amount attributable to each property, the April 1st assessment on each homestead is multiplied by the percentage of 12 months that each property was owned and occupied by the claimant as the claimant's homestead during the year for which relief is requested. If a homestead is an integral part of a larger unit such as a farm, or a multipurpose or multidwelling building, property taxes accrued are that percentage of the total property taxes accrued that the value of the homestead is of the total value, except that property taxes accrued do not include any portion of taxes claimed as a business expense for federal income tax purposes. For purposes of this chapter, "unit" refers to the parcel of property separately assessed of which the homestead is a part. 11. Rent constituting property taxes accrued for an elderly household. "Rent constituting property taxes accrued for an elderly household" means 25% of the gross rent actually paid in cash or its equivalent in any tax year by a claimant and the claimant's household solely for the right of occupancy of their Maine homestead in the tax year and which rent constitutes the basis, in the succeeding calendar year, of a claim for relief under this chapter by the claimant. 11-A. Rent constituting property taxes accrued for nonelderly household. "Rent constituting property taxes accrued for nonelderly household" means 20% of the gross rent actually paid in cash or its equivalent in any tax year by a claimant and the claimant's household solely for the right of occupancy of their Maine homestead in the tax year and which rent constitutes the basis, in the succeeding calendar year, of a claim for relief under this chapter by the claimant. 12. Year for which relief is requested. "Year for which relief is requested" means the calendar year preceding that in which the claim is filed. For a claim filed during January to May of any year, or during the extension period allowed under section 6215 , "year for which relief is requested" means the calendar year 2 years preceding that in which the claim is filed.