AARP DC SUPPORTS DISTRICT BUDGET ADOPTED BY DC COUNCIL

 

 

 

For Immediate Release
July 14, 2014
Contact: Ivan Lanier
Cell:  202-351-9862
Email:  ilanier@aarp.org

Washington, DC – Continuing to advocate on behalf of Washington, DC’s older citizens, AARP DC supports the budget adopted by the DC Council which expands the District’s property tax relief mechanisms for seniors. The budget also makes substantial cuts in income taxes that will help all households, including most senior households.  The tax changes will raise taxes next year on some senior residents, as they lose special deductions, but the changes generally will be modest and will apply only in limited circumstances. Even those affected households will face net tax reductions as the Council’s tax package is fully implemented.

“While AARP supported Councilmember Anita Bond’s Real Property Tax Relief legislation, we are disappointed that the Council has chosen to defund the legislation,” says AARP DC State Director Louis Davis, Jr.

AARP would like to see even more tax relief and recognizes that the expansion of Schedule H is a reasonable alternative that will affect older residents throughout the District. AARP will proactively work to inform residents on how to take advantage of this expansion, understanding that there are two components that cannot be ignored. First, the Real Property Tax Relief legislation only extends to homeowners and the Schedule H option expands tax relief to homeowners and renters. Second the Schedule H option allows interest-free deferral of property taxes for older low-income residents.

AARP still believes the budget approved by the Council benefits the majority of seniors by providing an additional $1.25 million to the DC Office on Aging, $1.3 Million for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, $4.3 Million for senior housing development and an additional $112,000 for the Grandparent Caregiver Program.
About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment security and retirement planning.  We advocate for consumers in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP VIVA, a bilingual news source.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.  AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Learn more at www.aarp.org.