Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NASHVILLE – During the Tennessee General Assembly’s special session, State Senator Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) successfully passed legislation (https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB6007&GA=114) today through the Senate State and Local Committee and the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee to provide property tax relief for victims of Hurricane Helene in Northeast Tennessee. The bill will provide crucial financial assistance to help owners of taxable property in impacted counties begin the difficult process of rebuilding in the face of devastation. The passage of this law during the special session was important to being able to timely provide the needed relief.

“This legislation will help those businesses and homeowners pay their property tax when their property has been damaged by Hurricane Helene,” said Crowe. “Hopefully this will ease the financial burden and also speed up the recovery efforts across communities. Many have lost everything, and we need to do all we can to help ease the burdens they are facing. I am proud that Comptroller Jason Mumpower has worked hard with his State Board of Equalization staff to find the best way forward to help those in need.”

Under the new law, property tax relief is available to owners of residential and most business properties if the following conditions are met:

• The property is located in a county included in the FEMA disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene: Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties.
• The property was verified by the local property assessor as damaged by Hurricane Helene on or before Jan. 28, 2025.

To receive the property tax relief, the necessary documentation must be submitted to the Comptroller’s office by June 30, 2025.

The relief payments will cover the amount of property tax levied, plus an additional 30%. While the payments provide critical financial support, they do not exempt recipients from their tax obligations or applicable deadlines. Instead, they offer property owners the means to fulfill their tax responsibilities to local governments.

Additionally, the new legislation streamlines the process for local governments to provide mutual aid during imminent threats or disaster recovery. It shifts the authority to approve mutual aid from the full governmental entity to the chief executive officer, enabling faster and more efficient responses in times of crisis.