June 30th is the last day in Polk County to file for the Homestead Exemption and have the benefit be applied to this year's taxes. Home owners may always file after July 1st, but the Homestead will only be applied then to the next years taxes.

If you're unfamiliar with the Homestead Exemption, or other home owner tax credits, you can read about them at the Polk County Assessors website, which is an excellent source of information.

Home owners in other municipalities may enjoy similar programs as well. Basically what the Homestead Tax Credit program does is reduce the taxable value of your home by $4,850 if you are an owner occupant, meaning that you live in the home as your primary residence versus renting it out to someone else or having another primary residence. This results in a savings of around $142 per year for the average taxpayer. Hey, Every little bit helps!

There are currently 45 tax credit programs available in Polk County. CLICK HERE to view the complete list.