A property may be classified as both homestead and nonhomestead. When a portion of the property is a homestead and a portion is used for business purposes or rented out, the following rules apply:
Business Use
No business use or business use of 25% or less: the entire property will be taxed at the homestead school property tax rate. Enter 00.00% on Form HS-122, Section A, Line A4. More than 25% business use: enter the appropriate percentage on Form HS-122, Section A, Line A4. Your property tax bill will show both a homestead and nonhomestead school property tax rate. Generally, the business use percentage is the same as reported on your federal income tax return.
Examples for calculating nonhomestead use:
- 1,800 square foot home with 635 square feet used as a home office and inventory storage. The 35.28% is business use (635/1,800) is rounded to 35.00%. The portion used for business is taxed at the nonhomestead rate.
- 1,200 square foot home with 250 square feet used as a home office. The 20.83% business use (250/1,200) is rounded to 21%. Because this is less than 25%, enter 00.00%.
Rental Use
The portion of your home that you rent to another person is not part of your home and is taxed at the nonhomestead tax rate. All rental use must be reported. There is no 25% allowance for rentals. When there is rental use, your property tax bill will show both a homestead and nonhomestead school property tax rate. The rental use percentage is generally the same as reported on your Federal income tax return. Enter the percentage on Form HS-122, Vermont Homestead Declaration and Property Tax Credit Claim, Section A, Line A5.
Example for calculating nonhomestead rental use:
- 1,800 square foot home with 365 square feet rented. The 20.27% rental use (365/1,800 is rounded to 20.00%. Eighty percent of your home will be taxed at the homestead rate and twenty percent at the nonhomestead rate.
Nursing Home or Residential Care for Other Owner
If the Homeowner is age 62 or older and the other owner of the housesite is the Homeowner's sibling or spouse who has moved indefinitely from the housesite to a nursing home or a residential care facility, the Homeowner treats the claim as if they are the only owner, provided the sibling or spouse does not make a claim for the same housesite or does not file a Renter Credit Claim.
Renting at the End of the Year
If you owned a Vermont homestead in the previous calendar year but sold the homestead before April 1 of that year and then rented a home for the remainder of the year through Dec. 31, you may be eligible for a Renter Credit Claim.