Sec. 11. (a) Except as provided in section 40.5 of this chapter, an individual may have the sum of twelve thousand four hundred eighty dollars ($12,480) deducted from the assessed value of real property, mobile home not assessed as real property, or manufactured home not assessed as real property that the individual owns, or that the individual is buying under a contract that provides that the individual is to pay property taxes on the real property, mobile home, or manufactured home, if the contract or a memorandum of the contract is recorded in the county recorder's office, and if:

(1) the individual is blind or the individual has a disability;

(2) the real property, mobile home, or manufactured home is principally used and occupied by the individual as the individual's residence;

(3) the individual's taxable gross income for the calendar year preceding the year in which the deduction is claimed did not exceed seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000); and

(4) the individual:

(A) owns the real property, mobile home, or manufactured home; or

(B) is buying the real property, mobile home, or manufactured home under contract;

on the date the statement required by section 12 of this chapter is filed.

(b) For purposes of this section, taxable gross income does not include income which is not taxed under the federal income tax laws.

(c) For purposes of this section, "blind" has the same meaning as the definition contained in IC 12-7-2-21(1).

(d) For purposes of this section, "individual with a disability" means a person unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which:

(1) can be expected to result in death; or

(2) has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.

(e) An individual with a disability filing a claim under this section shall submit proof of the disability. Proof that a claimant is eligible to receive disability benefits under the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) shall constitute proof of disability for purposes of this section.

(f) An individual with a disability not covered under the federal Social Security Act shall be examined by a physician and the individual's status as an individual with a disability determined by using the same standards as used by the Social Security Administration. The costs of this examination shall be borne by the claimant.

(g) An individual who has sold real property, a mobile home not assessed as real property, or a manufactured home not assessed as real property to another person under a contract that provides that the contract buyer is to pay the property taxes on the real property, mobile home, or manufactured home may not claim the deduction provided under this section against that real property, mobile home, or manufactured home.

[Pre-1975 Property Tax Recodification Citation: 6-1-5-1 part.]

Formerly: Acts 1975, P.L.47, SEC.1. As amended by Acts 1979, P.L.55, SEC.2; Acts 1981, P.L.25, SEC.4; Acts 1982, P.L.45, SEC.3; P.L.332-1989(ss), SEC.7; P.L.49-1990, SEC.1; P.L.2-1992, SEC.57; P.L.48-1996, SEC.2; P.L.6-1997, SEC.47; P.L.291-2001, SEC.133; P.L.20-2004, SEC.2; P.L.99-2007, SEC.22; P.L.144-2008, SEC.15; P.L.1-2010, SEC.23; P.L.148-2015, SEC.6.