WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Prince George’s County Executive and Senate race candidate Angela Alsobrooks saved thousands of dollars in taxes on two properties she owned in Maryland and D.C. by allegedly taking advantage of tax breaks she did not qualify for, according to a CNN report released Sunday.
The CNN review of her property records and tax bills reportedly showed that for both properties, Alsobrooks claimed a homestead tax exemption intended to apply only to someone’s primary residence, violating state and local tax relief requirements.
She also allegedly improperly claimed a senior citizens’ tax break on her D.C. property, which her grandparents used to own.
According to the review, Alsobrooks saved nearly $14,000 in taxes between 2005 and 2017 on the D.C. property by using tax exemptions meant for primary residents, lower-income residents and senior citizens, despite not living in the District.
In response to the accusations, senior adviser for Angela Alsobrooks said:
Many Marylanders know how difficult and complex it is when a family member needs to leave their home. When this situation happened to Angela’s grandmother, Angela stepped up and took it over for her family and paid the mortgage until the property was sold in 2018. She was unaware of any tax credits attached to that property and has reached out to the District of Columbia to resolve the issue and make any necessary payment.”
Senior adviser for Angela Alsobrooks, Connor Lounsbury
The CNN review also noted that Alsobrooks purchased a Prince George’s County townhouse in 2005 and received a homestead exemption for it in 2008. However, according to CNN, she continued to take the exemption even after she began renting the property.
“When Angela bought her new property, the homestead tax credit from her previous home was not transferred. This resulted in no financial gain for Angela. In fact, she ended up paying more in taxes than she would have had the credit transferred over. Nevertheless, Angela is working to repay any credits received on the old property,” said Lounsbury, regarding the report.
Alsobrooks and her Republican opponent, Larry Hogan, are set to face off in their race for the U.S. Senate seat on Nov. 5.
According to a new Emerson College/DC News Now/The Hill poll, Alsobrooks leads the former governor by 7%.
