U.S. President Donald Trump proposed eliminating property taxes for people age 65 and older who have paid off their mortgages.
The federal government does not control property taxes, which are levied at the state and local levels.
In August 2026, a rumor spread online that U.S. President Donald Trump proposed eliminating property taxes for people age 65 and older who have paid off their mortgages.
People shared the claim on Instagram and Facebook. An X user claimed Trump had already announced such a measure, which would affect “HOMEOWNERS 65+ WHO OWN THEIR HOMES OUTRIGHT” (archived):
Meanwhile, Snopes readers emailed us to confirm the veracity of the rumor.
The claim was false. We found no evidence Trump ever proposed lifting property taxes for seniors who have paid off their mortgages. Furthermore, the federal government does not control property taxes, which are levied at the state and local levels. In other words, Trump does not have the power to lower property taxes for seniors.
A White House spokesperson told Snopes via email that Trump “has not stated this.”
To investigate the rumor’s legitimacy, we first used search engines such as DuckDuckGo, Google and Bing. If Trump had made such a proposal, reputable news outlets, such as The Associated Press or Reuters, would have widely reported on it, and those search inquiries would have uncovered such evidence. This was not the case.
Instead, it appears people online may have confused federal tax relief measures Trump proposed with ideas for property tax reform.
For example, in 2025, Trump’s signature legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, sought to create a “$6,000 bonus deduction for taxpayers 65 and older.”
The OBBB also raised the federal itemized deduction cap for certain state and local taxes from $10,000 to $40,000.
Also, on Feb. 10, 2026, California’s government announced an initiative to exempt certain homeowners age 60 and older from paying property taxes on their principal residence if they have lived in it for at least five years, or in California for at least 10 years.
Further, Trump was reportedly considering a tax break on capital gains on the sale of property. This claim has not been confirmed as of this writing.
Lawmakers in several states have also proposed slashing property taxes amid steep increases in property values.
However, none of these proposals or measures amount to Trump eliminating property taxes for seniors.
For further reading, Snopes compiled claims about the Trump administration’s alleged quotes regarding tariffs.
