Delaware: If property taxes unpaid, dun income tax refund?
Delaware school districts and counties are losing millions of dollars from unpaid property taxes. Legislature is eyeing plan to dun the income tax refunds of those who owe property tax.
Legislators applaud school teachers seated in the balcony after they were recognized by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell during his State of the State speech in January in Dover, Del. Now, they're considering ways to recoup unpaid property taxes, which are hurting several school districts.
Gary Emeigh/The News Journal/AP/File
DOVER, Del.
Delaware lawmakers are considering a new system to allow school districts and counties to secure unpaid property taxes from a person's income tax refund.
WBOC-TV reports unpaid property taxes cost Delaware schools millions of dollars.
Lawmakers say Indian River School District is owed $2.9 million in unpaid taxes. Capital School District in Dover is missing about $2 million in property taxes from the past three years. Laurel School District is owed $700,000.
School districts say they need all the funding they are owed as other sources of funding are cut.
A tax intercept system is already used to retrieve funding for debts such as child support.
A bill could see a vote in the state House of Representatives next week. Last year, a similar bill stalled in the Senate.