Two Michigan cities are taking applications for a poverty property tax exemption ahead of their December board of review sessions. Portage must receive the paperwork by Dec. 1, according to the city’s 2026 application packet, and Ann Arbor wants it returned by Monday, Dec. 14 for a board meeting on Dec. 15, according to the city’s 2026 application. Ann Arbor’s exemption lasts one year and Portage’s application is filed annually, so a homeowner approved before has to apply again.
Which homeowners should check their household income against these tables before December? The exemption goes to the owner of a principal residence who owns and lives in the home and whose income and assets fall under the city’s limits. In Portage the ceiling for one person is $19,563 a year, while in Ann Arbor it is $44,100 for one person, so the same retiree can clear one city’s table and miss the other’s…