They are five words that can be worth hundreds of dollars: The lottery and gaming credit. It is applied to a homeowner’s annual property taxes, as basically a discount on the total amount due. Catherine Oreto, a Green Bay resident, learned about the credit from a reporter’s phone call. “That’s kind of exciting, I would be excited to get $275 back on my taxes,” Oreto said. The amount of the credit is based on the school district you live in – everyone who lives in a given district gets the same credit. In the Green Bay Area and Howard-Suamico school districts, the credit this year is about $275. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue urged qualifying homeowners to check their property tax bills to make sure the credit was applied. To qualify: -Be a Wisconsin resident -As of 1/1/23, have owned your home and used it as your primary residence. Until January 31, homeowners can apply using this form at the treasurer’s office that collects their property taxes. After that, a refund can be requested from the state. The Brown County treasurer’s office sent out 8,000 letters this year to homeowners who likely qualified but had not signed up for the credit, said Deputy Brown County Treasurer Chuck Mahlik. About half of the letter recipients signed up for the credit, Mahlik said. Once a homeowner signs up, it is not necessary to sign up again in future years for the same residence.
