TABOR Refund Checks In Jefferson County: What To Know

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Checks have been mailed to Jefferson County residents under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights Amendment, or TABOR, and there are some important things for taxpayers to know about the process.

The county received around $1.5 million in property tax revenue above the TABOR limit, so the county is required to give that revenue back to taxpayers this year.

TABOR, enacted by Colorado voters in 1992, limits the amount of revenue that governments can retain and spend.

When Jeffco's annual budget is created, officials estimate the amount of revenue that will be collected the following year; however, that prediction can end up being higher than the TABOR limit. The county must receive approval from voters to retain and spend any revenue in excess of TABOR limits. If the county doesn't have voter approval, that excess revenue must be returned to the taxpayers.

The county doesn't have to mail checks — the money could be returned by other methods, such as a credit to next year’s property tax bill or a temporary adjustment to the mill levy; however, Jeffco officials said they believe checks are the most transparent way to return the funds.

"Mailing the checks directly to property taxpayers allows the county to provide more information about the refund and the county budget," Jeffco's TABOR webpage reads.

The county mailed out 212,874 checks this year, officials said.

The latest estimates show that the county will have to refund around $7 million in excess revenue in 2022, officials said.

>> Learn more about TABOR checks in Jeffco here.