Jefferson County taxpayers will soon receive a TABOR refund check in the mail, as required by the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights Amendment (TABOR). TABOR mandates that Colorado governments refund revenue collected above the TABOR limit for a given fiscal year or seek voter approval to retain the revenue.
In 2023, Jefferson County received approximately $30.5 million in revenue above the TABOR revenue limit. As a result, the county is required to return that money to the 211,000 property taxpayers in 2024.
There are various methods to refund the revenue to taxpayers, including mailing refund checks or applying a credit to the following year’s property tax bill. After reviewing the options, Jefferson County decided that mailing refund checks was the most direct and transparent method for each taxpayer to receive their fair share of the refund.
All property taxpayers, including homeowners and business owners, will receive an equitable share of the $30.5 million refund. The average check amount will be about $145, and 93% of property taxpayers will receive a check for $200 or less. The median check amount is $86, meaning that 50% of people will receive a check for $86 or less.
According to Treasurer Jerry DiTullio, the Jefferson County Treasurer’s Office will cash any check under $200 (with a valid ID). Additionally, the Treasurer’s Office requests that people do not return checks and instead cash them, as the funds cannot be used by the county.
