County Assessor Kevin Gardner: Senate Bill 1 change has left an estimated 1,088 Vigo County disabled taxpayers facing higher bills

Kevin Gardner, Vigo County Assessor, told the Vigo County Council that changes made by Indiana Senate Bill 1 have increased property-tax liabilities for many residents receiving disability benefits.

Gardner said the state replaced a prior deduction with a credit and explained how the calculation differs. "Used to, they got a deduction of 12,480. Now, it's just a credit," he told the council, adding, "Now, you're getting $125." He described the mechanics: the tax system applies deductions at a point in the calculation that produces a different outcome than the flat credit.

Why it matters: Gardner said the switch from a deduction to a fixed credit does not yield the same benefit for taxpayers because deductions interact with the tax rate before the rate is applied. He warned that households that previously had the deduction can now face a substantially larger tax liability. "It's nothing that we did... It's the state with Senate Bill 1," he said.

Gardner provided a county estimate of the scale: "a rough estimate is there's a 1,088 people in Vigo County affected with this." He cautioned the council that no relief is expected this tax year but said he expects lawmakers may address the issue in new legislation next year.

Council response and next steps: Council members asked whether relief might be forthcoming; Gardner said he would be surprised if the legislature did not consider a change next year but emphasized that nothing will change for the current year. The council did not take formal action on the matter during this meeting.

Context and limits: Gardner also noted that Form 11 tax notices were mailed and are available on Beacon under each parcel for taxpayers who did not receive their mailed notice. The assessor suggested taxpayers contact his office for copies. The estimate of 1,088 affected residents was given as a rough county figure in the meeting.