Mecklenburg County homeowners who are 65 or older and bring in no more than $38,800 can take half off their home’s taxable value, or $25,000 off if that is larger, but they have to apply by June 1. The county tax office runs the program as the Elderly or Disabled Homestead Exemption. People who are totally and permanently disabled can use it at any age.
How much comes off the tax value
The county’s exemption page says approved homeowners get an exclusion of $25,000 or 50% of the home’s taxable value, whichever is greater. The exclusion lowers the value the tax rate is applied to. It is not a credit taken off the bill.
The two numbers cross at $50,000. On a home with a taxable value of $120,000, half is $60,000, so the tax is figured on $60,000. On a home taxed at $40,000, the flat $25,000 is larger than half, so the figure drops to $15,000.
Who meets the Mecklenburg tests
Four things have to line up, according to the page. The owner must be at least 65, or totally or permanently disabled, which the page defines as a condition that substantially prevents gainful employment. The owner must be a North Carolina resident and must be on the deed or title as of Jan. 1.
The home has to be the owner’s primary residence, and household income cannot be above $38,800. The page does not explain how income is counted, so anyone near the limit should call the office before relying on the number. A homeowner who is one dollar over is out.
The exclusion applies only to the primary residence. A second home, a vacation property or a rental owned by the same person gets nothing under this program, and the page makes no exception for land or outbuildings. The owner has to live in the home that is named on the application.
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The forms and where they go
Applicants fill out North Carolina Form AV-9, which the Department of Revenue posts on its 2026 application page. A disabled applicant also needs a medical professional to complete Form AV-9A, the disability certification. An applicant who qualifies on age alone sends only the AV-9.
The county prefers email, and the address is listed on its page. Applications can also go by mail to the County Assessor’s Office, Real Property Exemptions, P.O. Box 31127, Charlotte, NC 28231. Questions go to 704-336-7600, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The office is in the Valerie C. Woodard Center, 3205 Freedom Dr., Suite 3000. The county posted a banner that the center was closed Friday, Nov. 6, because of a power outage, so a visitor should check before driving over.
Why June 1 is the day that counts
The county lists June 1 as the application deadline and does not describe a late-filing grace period. That leaves about seven months between now and the deadline for anyone who turns 65 or has a doctor’s certification still to collect. A disabled applicant needs a medical professional to complete the AV-9A, so that form is worth requesting well ahead of the date.
The ownership date works the opposite way. Because the name must be on the deed as of Jan. 1, a buyer who closes after that date, or a family that has not yet moved a parent’s name onto the title, does not meet the rule as the page states it. That is the part that is hardest to fix after the fact.
The county’s page lays the process out in order. Complete Form AV-9. If the applicant is disabled, have a medical professional complete Form AV-9A. Then send both by email or by mail to the Real Property Exemptions office.
A homeowner who knows the home’s taxable value can run the same arithmetic as above before filing. The result shows what the exclusion would take off the value, though only the county can say what it does to the final dollars owed.
A household that is close to the $38,800 line should pull together the year’s income records before filling out the form. Calling 704-336-7600 first is a better way to settle a borderline case than guessing on the form.
Anyone who already receives the exclusion and is unsure whether it renews on its own should ask the same office. The page covers new applications and says nothing about renewal, so that answer has to come from the county.
The exemption page does not mention the county’s other property tax relief, and it links to a general tax relief programs list instead. A homeowner whose income is over $38,800 should look at that list before assuming nothing is available. The page does not say whether a household can combine the exemption with another program.
The page does not say how many Mecklenburg homeowners use the exclusion, or what the typical savings is. The dollar value depends on the home’s taxable value and the combined county and city rates on the bill, neither of which the page lists.
Is the AV-9 ready for Mecklenburg’s June 1 deadline?
A Mecklenburg homeowner who misses June 1 risks paying tax on the full taxable value, even when the age and income tests are met. The deed date and the doctor’s form are the details that tend to get missed.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit lays out the 5 kinds of property-tax relief and includes an application log and renewal calendar, so the AV-9 and its medical form each get a date well before June 1.
Get the Mecklenburg AV-9 filing calendar and relief kit →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
