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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Anoka County Warns Residents About Fake “Senior Freeze” Property Tax Videos
ANOKA COUNTY, MN (August 17, 2026) Anoka County officials are warning homeowners not to respond to online videos promoting supposed Minnesota property tax relief programs under names such as “senior freeze,” “senior break” and “senior homeowner tax review.”
The programs described in the circulating videos do not exist in Minnesota, according to Anoka County Property Records and Taxation.
The county issued the warning after receiving several calls from residents who had encountered a video claiming to provide access to the purported tax benefits.
County officials advised residents not to click links associated with the videos or communicate with anyone claiming to provide access to the nonexistent programs.
Some states may offer property tax programs with similar names, but Minnesota has not created a program officially called a “senior freeze,” “senior break” or “senior homeowner tax review.”
Property taxes are administered through state and local systems. Residents should be cautious of social-media content claiming that Congress or another federal authority has created a new form allowing older homeowners to freeze or eliminate their local property taxes.
Although the programs promoted in the videos are fictitious, Minnesota does offer several legitimate forms of property tax assistance.
Those programs include the Senior Citizens’ Property Tax Deferral Program, Regular Property Tax Refund, Special Property Tax Refund and Homestead Market Value Exclusion.
The Senior Citizens’ Property Tax Deferral Program allows qualifying older homeowners to defer a portion of their property taxes. It is not a cancellation or permanent freeze of those taxes.
Regular and special property tax refunds may provide relief to eligible homeowners based on household income, property tax increases and other statutory requirements. The Homestead Market Value Exclusion reduces the taxable market value of qualifying homestead properties and is generally applied automatically when a property has the appropriate homestead classification.
The county’s August 7 advisory reminded homeowners that the 2026 deadline to apply for a property tax refund was August 15. Residents with questions about filing options, eligibility or a missed deadline should contact the appropriate government office instead of relying on social-media advertisements.
Official information about Minnesota property tax programs is available through the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Anoka County Property Records and Taxation Department.
Residents may contact Anoka County Property Records and Taxation at 763-323-5400 or proptax@anokacountymn.gov.
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