Missouri's circuit breaker is separate from Jackson County's freeze

Two senior tax-credit names can sound like one program at the kitchen table. Jackson County’s senior property tax credit is local. Missouri’s Property Tax Credit, often called the circuit breaker, runs through the state Department of Revenue.

The state credit is aimed at certain senior citizens and 100 percent disabled individuals and is tied to part of the real estate tax or rent paid for the year. The county senior program is a separate Jackson County relief path handled through county collection.

Keeping the names straight saves a lot of paper shuffling. Jackson County Collection is the route for the county senior credit. Missouri DOR is the route for the circuit breaker form, qualifications, and filing instructions. A household may need to look at both, but one application does not replace the other.