California. Homeowners' Exemption. Qualifying homeowners can get up to a $7,000 reduction based on the assessed value of their home and primary residence.
To be eligible to file for up to $393,702 equity protection in 2024 with a Montana Homestead Declaration, a person's subject property must be his/her primary residence. A “homestead” is the house or mobile home in which a person lives and the land on which it is erected.
As of 2024, the federal homestead exemption is $27,900 for an individual and $55,800 for married couples filing jointly. In contrast, New York's exemption amounts are: $179,950 for the counties of Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam.
Homestead allowance. A decedent's surviving spouse is entitled to a homestead allowance of $22,500. If there is no surviving spouse, each minor child and each dependent child of the decedent is entitled to a homestead allowance amounting to $22,500 divided by the number of minor and dependent children of the decedent.
Homestead tax exemptions usually offer a fixed discount on taxes, such as exempting the first $50,000 of the assessed value with the remainder taxed at the normal rate. With a $50,000 homestead exemption, a home valued at $150,000 would be taxed on only $100,000 of assessed value.
The Exempt Property Allowance entitles the surviving spouse (or the surviving minor children, if there is no surviving spouse) of the decedent to select up to $20,000 worth of household furniture, automobiles, furnishings, appliances, and personal effects from the estate.
The owner completes, signs, and has the Montana homestead declaration notarized. The owner then files the document in the office of the clerk and recorder in the county in which the home is located. If married, both spouses should sign the declaration and live on the property.
In recent years, some Montanans have placed their property in revocable trusts. If an owner has the title in sole ownership, the owner has the full $393,702 (2024) homestead exemption.
The Homestead Act of 1862 enabled thousands to claim land in Montana. This act offered 160 acres of public land to US citizens on the condition that they live on, cultivate, and improve it. They could then "prove up" and obtain a deed after five years. The first homestead claim was made near present-day Helena in 1868.