Idaho’s House wants to cap homeowner’s tax exemption

The Idaho House passed a bill Tuesday that would have a major impact on property taxes.

Bonneville County Assessor P. Blake Mueller said there’s going to be a tax shift.

Representatives voted 55-15 in favor of legislation that would cap the maximum homeowner tax exemption at $100,000 but not before lawmakers debated the proposal.

“They want to freeze that homeowner exemption so it will stay at $100,000,” Mueller said.

Mueller said the tax will have to be paid one way or another.

“If somebody’s value comes off, and they don’t have to pay a certain amount of tax, the budgets of the taxing district still has to be paid. So everyone else who doesn’t get a tax exemption has to step up and pay their portion of that exemption in order to get the budgets covered, for the schools, cities and counties,” Mueller said.

Right now, state law allows homeowners to claim an exemption for up to 50 percent of their home value.

Mueller said the next step is to take the bill to the Senate.