Did Trump propose eliminating property taxes for some seniors?

Posts claimed the president's alleged proposal would apply to people age 65 and older who have paid off their mortgages. Published Aug. 24, 2026 Claim: U.S. President Donald Trump proposed eliminating property taxes for people age 65 and older who have paid off their mortgages. Rating: ContextThe 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. Sources Davis, Joe. "What Is the SALT Deduction?" H&R Block, 14 Oct. 2025, https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/irs/tax-reform/what-is-the-salt-deduction/?srsltid=AfmBOopllh-bN7fsrPyoEcbf7F73Ys3A_cnNlqD5SRpsq_pGyAnWC2xi. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026."How Do State and Local Property Taxes Work?" Tax Policy Center, 2021, https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-state-and-local-property-taxes-work. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.Pan, Jing. "US Homeowners to Get Major Tax Break Under Trump's Reported New Plan: "Make America Wealthy Again." Could You Benefit?" Yahoo Finance, Yahoo! Finance, 20 Aug. 2026, https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/us-homeowners-major-tax-break-112500114.htmlhttps://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/us-homeowners-major-tax-break-112500114.html. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.Ponder, Meghen. "The SALT Tax Deduction Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and the New 2025 SALT Cap." Taxact.Com, 22 Dec. 2025, https://blog.taxact.com/what-is-the-salt-tax-deduction/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026."Property Tax Relief & Reform In 2025." Tax Foundation, 17 Apr. 2025, https://taxfoundation.org/research/state-tax/property-tax-relief/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026."Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation: Exempts Certain Homeowners Aged 60 or Older From Property Taxes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. :: California Secretary of State." Ca.Gov, 2026, https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/news-releases-and-advisories/2026-news-releases-and-advisories/proposed-initiative-enters-circulation-exempts-certain-homeowners-aged-60-or-older-property-taxes-initiative-constitutional-amen. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.Rascouët-Paz, Anna. "Did Trump Admin Declare Brass Instruments a National Security Threat?" Snopes, Snopes.com, 18 Aug. 2026, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-brass-instrument-natsec-threat/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026."SALT Deduction Changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act | Bipartisan Policy Center." Bipartisanpolicy.Org, 2025, https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/salt-deduction-changes-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026."The One Big Beautiful Bill Slashes Seniors" Tax Burden | the United States Senate Committee on Finance." Senate.Gov, 16 July 2025, https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-slashes-seniors-tax-burden. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026."Who Benefits: The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Gives Seniors New Tax Relief – Ways and Means." House.Gov, 2025, https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/05/28/who-benefits-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-gives-seniors-new-tax-relief/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.Swatadvisors.Com, 2026, https://swatadvisors.com/trump-property-tax-plan-2026/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026. By Anna Rascouët-Paz Anna Rascouët-Paz is based in Brooklyn, fluent in numerous languages and specializes in science and economic topics. Got tips? Reach out to her on Signal at rascouetsnopes.41 or via email at anna@snopes.com. Article Tags