Chiang Offers Free Homeowner/Renter Assistance

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION CHAIR JOHN CHIANG OFFERS FREE HOMEOWNER AND RENTER ASSISTANCE CLAIM PREPARATION AT HIS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES OFFICE

John Chiang, Chair of the State Board of Equalization (BOE) and Member of the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), announced that his office will once again be providing free homeowner and renter assistance claim preparation to taxpayers from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. through June 30, 2006, the deadline for filing a claim.

I want everybody who qualifies to receive the money from this little known program,” said Chiang. “It is vitally important that we provide this valuable assistance to seniors, blind and disabled individuals living on limited fixed incomes.”

In 2004 a total of 33,074 claims for Homeowner and Rental Assistance were filed in Los Angeles County, according to the Franchise Tax Board. Chiang’s district encompasses 73 cities in LA County, and more than 8.5 million people.

The Homeowner and Renter Assistance Claim allows claimants to receive a once-a-year payment from the state of California based on a portion of the property taxes directly paid by homeowners and indirectly paid by renters through their rent payments. In order to qualify, the applicant must be over 62 years of age or blind or disabled, as of December 31, 2004. Qualified applicants may receive up to $472.60 for homeowner’s assistance or up to $347.50 for renter’s assistance. The amount of actual monetary assistance received is dependent on total household income, up to a maximum of $39,699 for 2004. For individuals who owned a business or rental property, gross household income cannot exceed $72,179 in 2004, including all non-cash business expenses such as depreciation, amortization and depletion.

In addition to the claim preparation assistance available at John Chiang’s office, the Franchise Tax Board has other volunteer sites throughout Los Angeles County that will be able to provide help. Individuals wanting further information on the Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program can call the Franchise Tax Board at (800) 868-4171 or visit www.ftb.ca.gov.

Taxpayers who wish to obtain homeowner or renter assistance claim assistance from John Chiang’s Office should call (213) 239-8506 to schedule an appointment. The office is located at 660 South Figueroa Street, Suite 2050, Los Angeles, CA 90017, and is wheelchair accessible.