Meredith Green, Kitsap County Treasurer, announces that under a new state law just passed on April 16, businesses that have lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic may qualify for a deferral of their 2021 real property taxes. Businesses that apply for the program by April 30 and establish a payment plan with Kitsap County Treasurer will not have penalties and interest applied to their taxes due, as long as the business remains compliant with the terms of the payment plan.

The Kitsap County Treasurer is now accepting applications from eligible business taxpayers. Applications may be submitted by emailing a completed Department of Revenue form to treasurer@co.kitsap.wa.us . Requests for deferral must be made by April 30, 2021 to participate in the program.

To be eligible, the business must meet these criteria:

• The tax account must be for real property used primarily for business purposes. This program is not available for personal property or non-business-related real property accounts. Visit www.kitsapgov.com/treas for payment options related to these tax accounts.
• The business must demonstrate a loss of at least 25 percent of revenue attributable to that real property for calendar year 2020 compared to calendar year 2019.
• Applicants that are granted a deferral of 2021 taxes must set up a payment plan with Kitsap County Treasury via the email application.

The owner of real property receiving a deferral must pass on the entire benefit to a tenant or sublessee if the tenant or sublessee is required by the lease or other contract to pay the property tax expense of the owner.

Payment plan features include:

• The frequency of the payments is up to the taxpayer. Payments can be made monthly, quarterly, or in one lump sum.
• The final payment must be received by December 31, 2021. After December 31, any unpaid 2021 taxes will be subject to all applicable interest and penalties.

For more information, visit http://www.kitsapgov.com/treas, email treasurer@co.kitsap.wa.us or call 360-337-7135.