(a) No claim shall be accepted under section 12-129b unless the taxpayer or authorized agent of such taxpayer files an application with the assessor of the municipality in which the property is located, in affidavit form as provided by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, during the period from February first to and including May fifteenth of any year in which benefits are first claimed, including such information as is necessary to substantiate said claim in accordance with requirements in such application. A taxpayer may make application to the secretary prior to August fifteenth of the claim year for an extension of the application period. The secretary may grant such extension in the case of extenuating circumstance due to illness or incapacitation as evidenced by a certificate signed by a physician or an advanced practice registered nurse to that extent, or if the secretary determines there is good cause for doing so. The taxpayer shall present to the assessor a copy of such taxpayer's federal income tax return and the federal income tax return of such taxpayer's spouse, if filed separately, for such taxpayer's taxable year ending immediately prior to the submission of the taxpayer's application, or if not required to file a federal income tax return, such other evidence of qualifying income in respect to such taxable year as the assessor may require. Each such application, together with the federal income tax return and any other information submitted in relation thereto, shall be examined by the assessor and if the application is approved by the assessor, it shall be forwarded to the secretary on or before July first of the year in which such application is approved, except that in the case of a taxpayer who received a filing date extension from the secretary, such application shall be forwarded to the secretary not later than ten business days after the date it is filed with the assessor. After a taxpayer's claim for the first year has been filed and approved such taxpayer shall be required to file such an application biennially. In respect to such application required after the filing and approval for the first year the tax assessor in each municipality shall notify each such taxpayer concerning application requirements by regular mail not later than February first of the assessment year in which such taxpayer is required to reapply, enclosing a copy of the required application form. Such taxpayer may submit such application to the assessor by mail, provided it is received by the assessor not later than April fifteenth in the assessment year with respect to which such tax relief is claimed. Not later than April thirtieth of such year the assessor shall notify, by mail evidenced by a certificate of mailing, any such taxpayer for whom such application was not received by said April fifteenth concerning application requirements and such taxpayer shall be required not later than May fifteenth to submit such application personally or for reasonable cause, by a person acting on behalf of such taxpayer as approved by the assessor.

(b) Any person knowingly making a false affidavit for the purpose of claiming property tax relief under section 12-129b and this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars. Any person who fails to disclose all matters relating thereto or with intent to defraud makes a false statement shall refund to the state or to the municipality, as the case may be, all tax relief improperly taken.

(1967, P.A. 755, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 814, S. 3; 1972, P.A. 253, S. 2; P.A. 73-650, S. 4, 6; P.A. 74-55, S. 5, 14; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 79-610, S. 3, 47; P.A. 80-391, S. 2, 6; P.A. 82-322, S. 1, 6; P.A. 83-485, S. 9, 13; P.A. 85-561, S. 1, 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, S. 50, 85; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 98, 131; P.A. 10-32, S. 34; P.A. 12-197, S. 27; P.A. 16-143, S. 1.)

History: 1969 act required that affidavit be filed within 60 days after assessment date, rather than 14 days before first meeting of board of tax review and required assessor to mail notice of necessity for annual filing at least 10 days before assessment date; 1972 act deleted requirement for 10 days' notice enacted in 1969; P.A. 73-650 placed June 30, 1973, deadline for acceptance of claims; P.A. 74-55 made former provisions Subsecs. (a) and (c), inserted substantially new Subsec. (b) permitting filings within 60 days after April 15, 1974, changed filing period from within 60 days after assessment date to “prior to and including May fifteenth of any year after calendar year 1974 ...” and deleted former provisions re notification of claimant and appeals; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-610 substituted secretary of the office of policy and management for commissioner of revenue services, effective July 1, 1980; P.A. 80-391 amended Subsec. (a) to detail procedure for required biennial filing with applicable deadlines and substituted “taxpayer” for “claimant”, effective May 29, 1980, and applicable in any town to assessment year commencing October 1, 1980, and each assessment year thereafter; P.A. 82-322 amended Subsec. (a) to require assessors to notify qualified taxpayers concerning reapplication requirements not later than February first, rather than January first, in year in which taxpayer must reapply and amended procedure re income tax information required so that it must be related to tax year of taxpayer ending immediately prior to application date, in lieu of tax year ending immediately prior to beginning of assessment year in which application is submitted, as previously required; P.A. 83-485 amended Subsec. (a) by providing that the taxpayer must file claim “during the period from February first to and including May fifteenth of any year” in lieu of “during the period prior to and including May fifteenth of any year” as previously provided, effective June 30, 1983, and applicable in any town to the assessment year commencing October 1, 1983, and each assessment year thereafter; P.A. 85-561 amended Subsec. (a) so that in cases of illness or incapacitation, evidenced by a physician's certificate, taxpayers may file for an extension of the application period, provided such application is made prior to August fifteenth in the claim year, effective July 5, 1985, and applicable to the assessment year in any municipality commencing October 1, 1985, and each assessment year thereafter; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6 amended Subsec. (a) to modify procedures for extensions of time for applications for relief and add requirements for such applications, deleted former Subsec. (b) re certain applications in 1974, redesignated former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b), and amended newly designated Subsec. (b) to change “exemption from taxation” to “claiming property tax relief”, to eliminate a possible term of imprisonment for making false affidavit and to provide for refund of tax relief improperly taken, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 added provision re refund of defrauded tax relief to the state or the municipality, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 12-197 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re certification by an advanced practice registered nurse and making a technical change; P.A. 16-143 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “March fifteenth” with “April fifteenth”, replacing “April first” with “April thirtieth”, and replacing “certified mail” with “mail evidenced by a certificate of mailing”.

Section does not provide an applicant for municipal tax relief an avenue of appeal in the Superior Court. 182 CA 855.