Maine Homestead Exemption: $25,000 Amount, Deadline and How to Apply

Maine's Resident Homestead Property Tax Exemption takes up to $25,000 off the just value of a Maine home that you have owned for the 12 months before April 1 and that is your permanent residence (36 M.R.S. 683). There is no age or income test. You apply once to your town or city assessor by April 1, and the exemption then continues without reapplying while you stay eligible (36 M.R.S. 684). Because the $25,000 is scaled by your municipality's certified assessment ratio, the reduction on your assessment can be less than $25,000.

The program is being restructured. Public Law 2025, chapter 650, the supplemental budget approved April 10, 2026, replaces the homestead, veterans and blind exemptions with one consolidated section, 36 M.R.S. 683-A, for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2027. The general amount stays at $25,000. Maine also offers the refundable Property Tax Fairness Credit on the income tax return and a State Property Tax Deferral Program for older and disabled owners. The creditor protection for a home is a separate law, 14 M.R.S. 4422(1). For other states, see our guide to homestead exemptions by state.

Information last verified on October 8, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Maine's Resident Homestead Property Tax Exemption (36 M.R.S. 681 to 689 and, from April 1, 2027, 36 M.R.S. 683-A as enacted by P.L. 2025, c. 650), the veterans and blind exemptions, the Property Tax Fairness Credit (36 M.R.S. 5219-KK), the State Property Tax Deferral Program, and the creditor residence exemption in 14 M.R.S. 4422(1). It does not cover any municipality's own senior programs or amounts, business or commercial property, or other states.

How much is the Maine homestead exemption?

Up to $25,000 of just value. Maine Revenue Services (MRS) puts it plainly: "Eligible property is exempt for up to $25,000 of just value of the home." Under 36 M.R.S. 683, that total is $10,000 under subsection 1 plus an additional $15,000 under subsection 1-B, for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2020.

"Just value" is full market value, but your town assesses property at its own certified ratio. The assessor therefore multiplies the $25,000 by that ratio. MRS Bulletin No. 35 gives the example of a 91 percent ratio, which produces a $22,750 reduction in assessed value with the same tax effect as $25,000 off just value. The exemption lowers the taxable value that the municipal tax rate is applied to.

Joint owners share one exemption. It cannot exceed $25,000 in total, but it can be divided among the owners who live there.

The table shows what applies now and what changes in 2027.

Who is eligible

MRS Bulletin No. 35 sets out the two core requirements:

"an applicant must own their Maine homestead for the 12-month period preceding April 1 of the first tax year the Homestead Exemption is to apply. The applicant must also be a permanent resident of Maine."

The home must be your permanent residence, and you can have only one at a time. Summer camps, vacation homes and second residences do not qualify (36 M.R.S. 681; Bulletin No. 35).

Ownership can take several forms. According to MRS, it includes a home held in a revocable living trust for you, a deeded life estate, and shares in a cooperative housing corporation for a qualifying shareholder. It does not include a life lease or an irrevocable trust unless you kept a deeded life estate. A permanent resident who lost the home in a tax lien foreclosure and bought it back is treated as an uninterrupted owner.

Active-duty military members permanently stationed in Maine count as permanent residents; members of the National Guard and Reserves are excluded from that rule.

How and when to apply

File with the assessor of the municipality where the home is located. If the home is in the unorganized territory, file with the MRS Property Tax Division instead.

"Completed forms must be filed with your local assessor by April 1. Forms filed after April 1 of any year will apply to the subsequent assessment year."

That language is from the MRS Homestead Property Tax Exemption Application. Maine's property tax year runs from April 1 to March 31, and the deadline is April 1 of the year the taxes are based on. Bulletin No. 35 adds: "Extensions to file an application cannot be granted. Applications received by the assessor after April 1, if approved, will apply for the following tax year."

The application asks you to confirm that you are a permanent Maine resident, that you have owned the home for 12 months, and that you are not claiming a homestead exemption elsewhere. It lists evidence of residency, such as a Maine income tax return, driver's license, hunting or fishing license, excise tax or voter registration.

The assessor approves or denies the application. A denial can be appealed by filing an abatement application within 185 days from commitment under 36 M.R.S. 841.

Do you have to reapply every year?

No. Under 36 M.R.S. 684:

"Unless the assessor determines that the property is no longer entitled to an exemption under this subchapter, the owner is entitled to receive the exemption without having to reapply."

The assessor reviews eligibility as of April 1 each year, and you must tell the assessor promptly if ownership or use of the home changes. The exemption does not move with you: "Applicants who relocate from their homestead to another residence must reapply for the Homestead Exemption."

What changes on April 1, 2027 (P.L. 2025, c. 650)

The supplemental budget, P.L. 2025, c. 650 (LD 2212), was approved by the Governor on April 10, 2026. Part M discontinues the separate veterans exemption (36 M.R.S. 653), the blind exemption (36 M.R.S. 654-A) and the current section 683, and replaces them with a consolidated 36 M.R.S. 683-A:

"For property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2027, up to $25,000 of the just value of a homestead owned by an applicant for the preceding 12 months is exempt from taxation."

The statute pages on the Legislature's website still show the older sections, because they were last updated before c. 650. The figures in this section come from the enacted law.

Under 683-A, a homestead that is eligible for the general exemption (owned by the applicant for the preceding 12 months and occupied as a permanent residence) can receive an additional exemption when its permanent resident is a veteran or is legally blind. For this purpose a "veteran" is anyone who was on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and, if discharged, retired or separated, left under conditions other than dishonorable; the definition no longer turns on a war period. An unremarried surviving spouse or minor child of a deceased veteran, or a qualifying parent, who meets the new definition can claim the additional exemption the veteran would receive if living:

• Veterans: $5,000 for a veteran under 62, or $6,000 at 62 or older, when the veteran has no disability rating or one below 60 percent; $7,000 for service during or before World War I; up to $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 or $50,000 for disability ratings of 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 percent; and $50,000 for a veteran who received a specially adapted housing grant. Only one veterans category applies to a veteran.
• Legally blind: up to $5,000, certified by a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy or optometry.

Veterans claiming the additional exemption must include proof of entitlement with the application. Property that received the homestead, veterans or blind exemption for the 2026 tax year is presumed eligible for the equivalent exemption for 2027 unless the State Tax Assessor finds otherwise. The Legislature directed MRS to publish guidance on the consolidation; check with your assessor for the 2027 application.

Veterans and blind exemptions through tax year 2026

Until the April 1, 2027 change, the separate exemptions still apply on top of the homestead exemption. According to MRS:

"A veteran who served during a recognized war period and is 62 years or older; or, is receiving 100% disability as a Veteran; or, became 100% disabled while serving, is eligible for an exemption of $6,000 of just value of their home."

MRS also lists a $50,000 exemption of just value for a veteran with a specially adapted housing grant, and "An individual who is determined to be legally blind is eligible to receive an exemption of $4,000 of just value of their home." Under 36 M.R.S. 653, the unremarried surviving spouse or minor child of a veteran who would be entitled to the exemption if living, or who receives a federal pension or compensation as that veteran's surviving spouse or minor child, can also receive $6,000. Each requires its own application (the Veteran Exemption Application or the Blind Exemption Application) at the local town office by April 1. Whether a particular veteran's service period counts is set out in MRS guidance; the assessor can confirm.

Property Tax Fairness Credit

The Property Tax Fairness Credit is not an exemption. It is a refundable credit on the Maine individual income tax return for part of the property tax or rent you paid on your primary residence:

"Eligible Maine taxpayers may receive a portion of the property tax or rent paid during the tax year on the Maine individual income tax return whether they owe Maine income tax or not."

The credit equals the amount by which your benefit base (property tax paid, or 15 percent of rent) exceeds 4 percent of your income, up to a cap (36 M.R.S. 5219-KK):

The benefit base and income limits are indexed for inflation. For tax year 2025, Schedule PTFC/STFC sets the maximum benefit base and the income limit by filing status and by the number of qualifying children and dependents on Form 1040ME, line 13a:

If you, or your spouse when filing jointly, were at least 65 during the tax year, the benefit base is $4,100 instead of the table amount. The 2025 instructions give the 65-or-older income limit two ways, "less than $102,500" in the eligibility list and "$100,000" beside the income table, so check the current instructions. The tax year 2026 schedule had not been published when this article was verified. Section 5219-KK(2-E) also provides an additional credit for a veteran with a 100 percent permanent and total disability rating.

To be eligible you must have been a Maine resident during any part of the tax year, owned or rented a Maine home that you lived in as your primary residence, paid property tax or rent, met the income and benefit limits, and not filed as married filing separately. "To claim the credit, file Form 1040ME and Schedule PTFC/STFC for the tax year during which the property tax or rent was paid." Because it is tied to each year's return, you claim it every year.

State Property Tax Deferral Program

Under the State Property Tax Deferral Program (36 M.R.S. 6250 to 6266), the state pays your homestead's property taxes for you:

"While participating in the Deferral Program, the State will pay the property taxes, including up to two years of delinquent taxes, on the homestead of participating taxpayers each year until the taxpayer withdraws or is disqualified from the Program."

The deferred taxes are not forgiven. They accrue as a balance owed to the state, secured by a state lien, with interest at the general delinquent rate minus one percentage point, and the taxpayer or heirs repay them after withdrawal or disqualification. The program covers the principal dwelling and up to 10 contiguous acres.

According to MRS Bulletin No. 34, eligibility requires:

• An owner who is 65 or older or unable to work due to disability (one owner is enough).
• Income in the previous calendar year under $80,000 combined.
• Liquid assets under $100,000, or under $150,000 combined for multiple owners.
• Fee simple ownership (a revocable trust is acceptable; an irrevocable trust or a life estate is not).
• A homestead that receives the Homestead Exemption, is not in a municipal deferral program, and has no more than two years of delinquent taxes.
• No HUD-insured reverse mortgage on the home, and no municipal liens other than for delinquent property taxes (such as a municipal utility lien).

Apply with your municipal assessor (or MRS for the unorganized territory) between January 1 and April 1. MRS stated that "The filing period for the 2026 tax year is open from January 1, 2026, to April 1, 2026." Once approved, you do not need to reapply unless you withdraw or are disqualified. A denial can be appealed to the State Board of Property Tax Review within 60 days.

Is there a senior property tax freeze in Maine?

Not statewide. The state Property Tax Stabilization Program in 36 M.R.S. chapter 908-B is limited by its own terms: "This chapter applies only to the property tax year beginning April 1, 2023." It is not operating for later years, and bills in the 2025-2026 legislative session to restore senior stabilization did not pass.

Municipalities may adopt their own property tax stabilization or partial deferral programs for older residents by local ordinance (36 M.R.S. 6235). Those are local options; ask your town office whether one exists where you live.

Bills to raise the homestead exemption amount also failed in the same session; LD 140 died on adjournment on April 29, 2026. The amount remains $25,000.

Penalties for a wrongful claim

Knowingly giving false information to obtain the homestead exemption is a Class E crime, and so is claiming permanent residence in Maine while claiming permanent residence in another state for the same year, with an exception for active-duty personnel permanently stationed in Maine (36 M.R.S. 684(2)). The state can also look back 10 years (36 M.R.S. 687; MRS Bulletin No. 35):

"If the assessor or MRS determines that a property has improperly received a Homestead Exemption during any of the preceding ten years, the assessor will supplementally assess the property for an amount equal to the total taxes exempted, plus costs and interest."

Creditor protection for your home (14 M.R.S. 4422(1))

This is a separate law from the property tax exemption. The $25,000 tax exemption gives no protection from creditors, and the creditor exemption does nothing to your tax bill. Maine has no homestead declaration to file; the debtor claims the exemption against attachment or execution.

Under 14 M.R.S. 4422(1), a debtor may exempt "the debtor's aggregate interest, not to exceed $80,000 in value, in real or personal property that the debtor or a dependent of the debtor uses as a residence." Value means fair market value (14 M.R.S. 4421). Higher limits apply in two situations:

• $160,000 if minor dependents live with the debtor (for jointly owned property, the lesser of $80,000 or the debtor's fractional share of $160,000).
• $160,000 if the debtor or a dependent is 60 or older or disabled (for jointly owned property, the lesser of $160,000 or the debtor's fractional share of $240,000).

Proceeds from a sale of the residence are exempt for 12 months for reinvestment in a new residence. There is no acreage limit. The amount a debtor can claim is limited to the exemption in effect on the date the creditor's lien was recorded on the property (14 M.R.S. 4422(1)(E)), so an older lien may be subject to a lower figure. If the debtor's interest exceeds the exempt amount, "the whole of the property may be sold," and the debtor receives the exempt amount (14 M.R.S. 4424).

The exemption has limits. "Any exemption claimed under this subsection does not apply to judgments based on torts involving other than ordinary negligence on the part of the debtor." Property fraudulently conveyed is not exempt, and property acquired by converting nonexempt property within 90 days is not exempt beyond the debtor's reasonable needs (14 M.R.S. 4423). This article does not cover how the exemption interacts with mortgages, tax liens or support obligations.

In bankruptcy, Maine has opted out of the federal exemption list. Under 14 M.R.S. 4426, "a debtor may exempt from property of the debtor's estate under 11 United States Code only that property exempt under 11 United States Code, Section 522(b)(3)(A) and (B)," which leaves Maine debtors with the state and other nonbankruptcy exemptions, including the residence exemption. For more, see Maine bankruptcy laws.

Probate homestead allowance

A third use of the word: under 18-C M.R.S. 2-402, "A decedent's surviving spouse is entitled to a homestead allowance of $22,500." If there is no surviving spouse, each minor and dependent child receives a share of $22,500 divided by the number of those children. See Maine probate laws for how the allowance fits into an estate.

Related

• Homestead exemptions by state
• Maine bankruptcy laws
• Maine probate laws
• Maine property records
• New Hampshire homestead exemption

This article is general legal information about Maine law (36 M.R.S. 681 to 689, 36 M.R.S. 5219-KK, P.L. 2025, c. 650, 14 M.R.S. 4421 to 4426 and 18-C M.R.S. 2-402), verified as of October 8, 2026. It is not tax or legal advice. For your situation, contact your municipal assessor, Maine Revenue Services, or a lawyer licensed in Maine.

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the homestead exemption in Maine?

Up to $25,000 of just value on your permanent residence, under 36 M.R.S. 683 for property tax years since April 1, 2020 and under the new 36 M.R.S. 683-A from April 1, 2027. Your assessor scales it by the town's certified ratio, so the reduction in assessed value can be less than $25,000.

When is the deadline to file for homestead exemption in Maine?

April 1. You file with your municipal assessor, extensions cannot be granted, and an application received after April 1, if approved, applies to the following tax year (MRS Bulletin No. 35).

Do I have to reapply for homestead exemption every year in Maine?

No. Under 36 M.R.S. 684, once approved you keep the exemption without reapplying unless the assessor determines you are no longer entitled. You must reapply if you move to a different home.

How long do I have to own my home to get the Maine homestead exemption?

You must have owned the Maine homestead for the 12 months before April 1 of the first tax year the exemption is to apply, and it must be your permanent residence (MRS Bulletin No. 35; 36 M.R.S. 683).

Is there an age requirement for the Maine homestead exemption?

No. The homestead exemption has no age or income test. Age matters for the Property Tax Fairness Credit cap ($2,000 at 65 or older, $1,500 under 65 for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026) and for the State Property Tax Deferral Program.

Does Maine have a property tax freeze for seniors?

Not statewide. The state stabilization program in 36 M.R.S. 6281 applied only to the property tax year beginning April 1, 2023. Some municipalities may adopt their own senior stabilization or deferral programs by ordinance (36 M.R.S. 6235), and the State Property Tax Deferral Program is available to eligible owners 65 or older or unable to work due to disability.

Does the Maine homestead exemption protect my house from creditors?

No. The tax exemption gives no creditor protection. A separate law, 14 M.R.S. 4422(1), exempts up to $80,000 of a residence, or $160,000 if minor dependents live with the debtor or the debtor or a dependent is 60 or older or disabled, with exceptions such as judgments for torts involving more than ordinary negligence.