Pocatello taxpayers to see one-time tax relief on December 2020 tax notice

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Taxpayers in Pocatello will be seeing a one-time tax relief on their December 2020 tax notice. 

The Pocatello City Council recently voted to utilize Governor Brad Little’s public safety proposal that uses up to $200 million of federal coronavirus relief funds for public safety personnel salaries in Idaho’s cities and counties. 

The City of Pocatello has been allocated $4.9 million from the Governor’s program, which is estimated to save Pocatello taxpayers $214.54 per $100,000 of taxable value on their 2020 tax bill, according to the City of Pocatello Finance Department.

“I’m excited that we’re able to take advantage of Governor Little’s proposal,” Mayor Brian Blad said. “This one-time relief will certainly help Pocatellans.”

Residents with mortgages will see the adjustment on their 2021 mortgage/escrow reassessment.

If you have questions about how the program will impact your tax bill, you should contact the Bannock County Assessor’s Office or your mortgage lender. 

Officials would like to emphasize the relief is one-time only for tax year 2020. In 2021, taxes will return to previous levels.

Through the program, Idaho cities and counties opt-in to “receive an additional allocation of funds from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to cover public safety personnel (Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services) salaries.” From there, cities and counties pass the resulting savings on to taxpayers in the form of one-time property tax relief.

This relief will be noted as a credit on December 2020 tax notices.