Renter Rebate

The Renter Rebate is a tax credit. You must have a low enough income to get the credit. You must have paid rent in Vermont for all 12 months of the tax year. You must have been a legal resident of Vermont for the whole tax year. You can’t be somebody else’s dependent. Only one member of the household can claim the credit.

Your Renter Rebate Claim is due on April 15. You can file a claim late — but only up to October 15. October 15 is the final deadline for a Renter Rebate Claim. This is different from most tax credits.

If your income is low enough, you can get free, professional tax preparation through:

To find a VITA or TCE site near you:

visit the IRS Free Tax Help web page between mid-January and April or
call Vermont 2-1-1.

Ask them to prepare the Renter Rebate for you. If you go to VITA or TCE, you will need to bring in a Landlord’s Certificate. Your landlord should give it to you. If you do not get the Landlord’s Certificate, ask for it. If you have trouble getting the form you need from your landlord, we provide some suggestions below.

Filing Your Own Renter Rebate

To file your own Renter Rebate, follow these three steps:

Find out if you qualify for the Renter Rebate.
The Renter Rebate has income limits. To find out if you qualify, fill out Vermont Department of Taxes Form 144: Household Income (it’s the second form in this PDF). Form 144 lets you know what income counts for the Renter Rebate. That income might not count for other parts of your tax return.
Get the Landlord’s Certificate from your landlord.
Your landlord must give you a completed and accurate Vermont tax form. The tax form is called Form LC-142: Landlord’s Certificate. The Landlord’s Certificate must show how much rent you paid during the tax year. See below for more information about the Landlord’s Certificate.
Fill out Form 141: Renter Rebate Claim.
Fill out Vermont Department of Taxes Form 141: Renter Rebate Claim. Claims for rent you paid may be filed as late as October 15.

You may be able to file your Renter Rebate for free online, or you can mail it to the Vermont Department of Taxes.

You will need:

More information from the Vermont Department of Taxes website
Your school district code

Landlord’s Certificate

When your landlord is required to give you the Landlord’s Certificate depends on how many rental units are in your building:

If your apartment or house has more than one rented unit in it, your landlord must give you your Landlord Certificate by January 31.
If your landlord rents out only one unit (your apartment or house), then your landlord must give you your Landlord’s Certificate within a reasonable amount of time after you ask for it. A “reasonable amount of time” usually means within about a week.

The state may fine landlords for each Landlord Certificate they don’t provide.

What if I move before December 31?

Your landlord must give you your Landlord’s Certificate when you leave or mail the certificate to your new address or to the last address your landlord has for you.

My landlord didn’t give me a Landlord’s Certificate. What can I do?

If your landlord did not give you a Landlord’s Certificate, ask him or her to give you the Vermont Tax Department Landlord’s Certificate: Form LC-142. Your landlord is required to give it to you.

If you asked, but your landlord still won't give you the Landlord’s Certificate, call the Vermont Department of Taxes toll-free at 1-866-828-2865. Tell them your landlord won’t give you the Landlord’s Certificate for the Renter Rebate.

The Vermont Tax Department could fine your landlord $200 if he or she refuses to give you your Landlord’s Certificate or gives you a certificate with the wrong information on it.

My landlord gave me the Landlord’s Certificate, but it’s wrong. What can I do?

If the Landlord’s Certificate has the wrong amount of rent or other wrong information, ask your landlord to explain what the form means. You might just not understand what the form is asking for.

If it’s not a mistake or misunderstanding, call the Vermont Department of Taxes toll-free at 1-866-828-2865. Tell them that the information your landlord put on the Landlord’s Certificate is wrong. Ask them to help you get your landlord to correct it.

Need More Help?

Here are some steps you can take if you called the Vermont Tax Department, and your landlord still won’t give you the Landlord’s Certificate or change the information that is wrong.

Contact us to see if you qualify for free legal help. Fill out our form and someone from Vermont Law Help will call you.
If Vermont Law Help is unable to help you, you can file the Landlord’s Certificate yourself. Here’s how:

Fill out the Landlord’s Certificate: Form LC-142. If you can’t print the certificate and want the Vermont Department of Taxes to mail a paper copy to you, call them toll-free at 1-866-828-2865.
Write your landlord’s name, address, and telephone number on the form.
Attach copies of your cancelled checks or rent receipts to the Landlord’s Certificate.
Attach a letter explaining why the Landlord’s Certificate isn’t filled out by your landlord. Include your landlord’s name, address and telephone number in the letter.
Fill out the Vermont Department of Taxes Form 141: Renter Rebate Claim and Form 144: Household Income.
Mail the packet to the Vermont Department of Taxes at PO Box 1881, Montpelier, VT 05601-1881.

Renter Rebate

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