The Assessor is a town employee, professionally educated, state certified and responsible for the appraisal of all real estate, motor vehicles and certain types of personal property as required by Connecticut State Law. The money needed to operate the town, including the public school, road maintenance, recreation, police and other services, comes primarily from property taxes. Individual tax bills are the property assessment (70% of value) multiplied by the mill rate. The mill rate is determined each year by dividing the budget needed to operate the town by the taxable grand list.
Each and every property must be properly assessed so that taxes are apportioned fairly. Every five years the Assessor is required to reevaluate all property and prepare an updated grand list (a total assessment of all listed properties) upon which the taxes are based.
No articles have been posted from this entity. Visit the News & Updates page to see posts from the town.
FAQs
Property Tax Exemptions
Any qualifying exemptions will be applied to the following July tax bill.
Property Tax Credit Available to Elderly or Totally Disabled Homeowners
Canaan homeowners who were 65 or older by the end of the calendar year or who are 100% Social Security Disabled may be eligible for credit on their property tax.
The property must be their principal residence and they must have owned the home on or before October 1.
Income requirements are available from the Assessor’s Office and Social Security benefits must be included. Proof of income must be provided, and if the applicant filed an income tax return and/or received an SSA-1099 from Social Security, a copy must be included with the application.
Applications are available from the Assessor’s Office and may be filed from February 1st toMay 15th. If eligible, credit will be applied to the July tax bill.
Veteran exemptions: If you are a veteran or an active duty service member but are not currently receiving a veteran's exemption, the first step is to file your DD-214 with the Town Clerk's Office. Your DD-214 must be filed by September 30th in order to receive the exemption beginning with that October 1st Grand List. If you are not able to locate your DD-214 discharge paperwork, you may request a copy by visiting, Archives.gov/veterans.
If you served during a recognized period of combat, please contact this office to see if your service time qualifies as a “Eligible Date of War”. You could be entitled to an assessment reduction. If you are a veteran who was disabled in combat, you may be eligible for an increased exemption. A recent letter from the Veteran's Administration that indicates the disability percentage must be presented in order to receive the increased exemption. State Additional Veteran's Exemption
The filing period for the Additional Veteran's Exemption is February 1st through October 1st of any given year, for the exemption on that October 1st Grand List. To receive this exemption, you must meet the income requirement for the year you are applying. Proof of all income for the calendar year preceding the filing period must be provided. If you file an Income Tax Return, a copy must be provided. If you receive Social Security benefits, a copy of your SSA 1099 form must be provided, unless you are rated 100% disabled through the Veteran's Administration. In that case, your Social Security benefits are not considered.
Active Duty Vehicle Exemption
A Canaan resident who is a member of the armed forces of the United States (including the reserves or Connecticut National Guard) on the October 1 assessment date may be eligible for the total exemption of one motor vehicle which is registered to or leased by the service person. Application is to be filed no later than December 31st following the property tax due date. Annual filing is required Active Duty Exemption Form: veteran_still_in_service_form.pdf Disabled Veterans Exemption
To be eligible for this exemption, submit a copy of your Veteran’s Disability Rating statement from the Veteran’s Administration. Disabled veterans that have established their eligibility for exemption are no longer required to file annually unless there is a change in the percentage of disability.
Exemption for Blindness
To receive a $3,000 assessment exemption, certification of blindness must be obtained from the State of Connecticut, Board of Education and Services for the Blind. This certificate must be dated and filed with the Assessor by October 1st. It is only necessary to file once for this exemption.
Exemption for Totally Disabled Taxpayers
To receive a $1,000 assessment exemption, proof of permanent total disability from the Social Security Administration must be presented to the Assessor along with a signed Form D-1 application by October 1st. It is only necessary to file once for this exemption.
Any qualifying exemptions will be applied to the following July tax bill.
.svg){kind=small}
