Key Takeaways
Colorado SB26-116 ends the Qualified Senior Primary Residence (QSPR) classification for property tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2027.
Tax year 2026 is QSPR's final year; the July 15, 2026 application window has closed, and approved reductions still appear on 2027 bills.
The standard Senior Homestead Exemption, Disabled Veteran Exemption, and property tax deferral all continue unchanged.
The bill also freezes the state business personal property exemption at $58,000 starting in 2027, with no inflation adjustment.
If you moved and can't meet the 10-year rule, appealing your home's actual value is the relief lever still open to you.
What Colorado SB26-116 Does
Colorado SB26-116 sunsets the Qualified Senior Primary Residence (QSPR) classification, and the change starts with property tax year 2027. Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill June 2, 2026, and it took effect Aug. 12, 2026.
Senate Bill 26-116 blocks extending the qualified-senior primary residence real property classification for property tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027. The law touches two things:
The QSPR sunset for senior movers.
The state business personal property exemption.
It leaves the standard senior exemption, veteran relief, and deferral alone.
At Ownwell, we track statehouse changes so you don't have to. Our 2025 National Homeowner Survey found 85% of Colorado homeowners worry about big property-tax increases. That was the highest share of any state we measured.
Below, we cover the details that matter most:
What QSPR was and who relied on it
What ends after 2026 and what continues unchanged
The business personal property freeze and your options as a mover
How Much Are You Over Paying?
What Is the Qualified Senior Primary Residence (QSPR) Classification?
The Qualified Senior Primary Residence (QSPR) classification is a "portability" benefit. Colorado created it through Senate Bill 24-233 for tax years 2025 and 2026 only. It lets a senior (65+) who already qualified for the senior exemption and then moved carry the benefit to a new primary home.
The QSPR benefit mirrors the standard exemption. It exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of your home's actual value, up to $100,000 in exempted value.
Here is the math on a $450,000 Front Range home, using Colorado's median effective property tax rate of 0.50% as an illustration:
Line item | Before QSPR | After QSPR |
|---|---|---|
Actual (market) value | $450,000 | $450,000 |
Value exempted (50% of first $200,000) | $0 | $100,000 |
Taxable actual value | $450,000 | $350,000 |
Estimated annual tax (0.50% effective rate) | $2,250 | $1,750 |
Annual savings | — | $500 |
Effective rates and mill levies vary by county and district, so confirm your numbers with your county assessor.
Why did QSPR matter? The standard exemption requires 10 consecutive years in the same home, so recent movers usually don't qualify. QSPR was the bridge for seniors who downsized, moved closer to family, or relocated for care.
Without QSPR, those same movers restart the 10-year clock at their new address. That is the gap SB26-116 reopens for anyone who moves after 2026.
It was never a mass program. A state fiscal analysis estimate put about 2,350 QSPR classifications in 2025, roughly 4% of eligible households.
See what the county thinks your home is worth, then see what it should be. Get your free savings estimate.
What's Ending vs. What Stays
Several similarly named programs cause most of the confusion, so here is the plain-English breakdown. Only one homeowner classification is going away.
Program | Status Under SB26-116 | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
QSPR classification | Ends after tax year 2026 | Portability that lets senior movers carry the exemption to a new primary home |
Standard Senior Homestead Exemption | Continues | Exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value for owners 65+ with 10 consecutive years in the home |
Disabled Veteran Exemption | Continues | Same 50% of the first $200,000 for veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability |
Property tax deferral | Continues | State pays the tax and places a lien; repaid when you sell or transfer the home |
Business personal property exemption | Frozen at $58,000 from 2027 | Covered in detail below |
The takeaway: QSPR is the only homeowner classification ending. Colorado's Legislative Council Staff counted more than 266,000 seniors claiming the standard Senior Homestead Exemption in 2021, and it is not going anywhere. The Disabled Veteran Exemption and the deferral program also stay in place, so most senior relief in the state is unchanged.
QSPR's roughly 2,350 users in 2025 are a separate, much smaller group, so don't confuse the two counts.
For a full walkthrough of the relief that remains, see our Colorado senior property tax exemption guide, compare options in our property tax exemptions by state breakdown, or start with our property tax exemptions overview.
Not sure which relief still applies to you? Skip the research and let us build your case.
Your 2026 Timeline: File While You Still Can
Tax year 2026 is the final year QSPR exists. The Colorado Division of Property Taxation's recent legislation page confirms the program stays in effect for 2026. Counties must still process applications, with the reduction payable in 2027.
Two deadlines matter here, and they're not the same:
QSPR application: the 2026 deadline was July 15, 2026.
Actual-value appeal: the 2026 deadline was June 8; the 2027 deadline is expected to fall around the same date.
Because the classification ends after 2026, there is no 2027 QSPR cycle to wait for. If you moved and missed it, skip ahead to your options after 2026 below.
The actual-value appeal, by contrast, comes back every year. Any owner can file it, regardless of age or QSPR status, under Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) 39-5-122. Your county assessor mails a Notice of Valuation in the spring. The 2026 appeal deadline was June 8, and the 2027 deadline is expected to fall around the same date.
Here is the good news. If your 2026 QSPR application was approved, that reduction still appears on your 2027 tax bill, even though the program sunsets. In other words, the sunset does not claw back a benefit you already secured.
How Much Are You Over Paying?
What SB26-116 Changes for Business Personal Property
SB26-116 has a second half that small-business owners shouldn't miss. It affects business personal property (BPP), meaning the equipment, furniture, and machinery a business owns and gets taxed on.
Starting with tax years beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the enacted bill sets the exemption at $58,000, without an inflation adjustment. Before this, the threshold rose on a biennial schedule to keep pace with inflation.
According to the Colorado Division of Property Taxation, the state also froze its reimbursements to local governments for that exemption at the 2026 level. Those payments are frozen, not eliminated.
So what does this mean for you?
If your business personal property is worth more than $58,000, you still file a declaration and may owe tax on the value above the threshold. The difference now is that the $58,000 line no longer climbs on its own, so more equipment can become taxable over time.
What Seniors and Movers Can Do After 2026
Losing QSPR stings most if you moved after 2020 and used it as a bridge. The standard exemption requires 10 consecutive years in your current home, so you may have to wait before you qualify again. Here is how we suggest thinking about your next moves.
You have three levers after 2026:
Rebuild toward the standard exemption. Each year in your new primary residence counts toward the 10-year requirement.
Consider the state's property tax deferral program. It lets the state pay your tax and place a lien, repaid when you sell or transfer.
Appeal your home's actual value. This lever stays open to every owner, and a strong case rests on recent comparable sales.
The appeal is the move most people overlook. Our second annual national homeowner survey found 74% of homeowners have never appealed, and 57% of those didn't know they could.
Timing matters in Colorado. The state reassesses in odd years, so the 2025 reassessment set values for 2025-2026, and the next one lands in 2027. That 2027 window is your first big chance to push back on value once QSPR is gone.
Learn how a property tax appeal works, then check whether you can lower your property tax assessment before your next Notice of Valuation arrives.
Want to Try What Made Ownwell Famous?
How Ownwell Can Help Reduce Your Property Taxes
In Colorado, we focus on property tax appeals, meaning we challenge the county's valuation of your home. We don't file exemptions in Colorado, so we won't submit your QSPR or senior exemption paperwork. But once a classification like QSPR disappears, the appeal becomes the lever with the biggest ongoing impact. It's the one we run end to end for you.
That means we gather the comparable sales, build the evidence, and file the paperwork. We also represent you through the county process, so you don't spend hours preparing a case on your own.
Our pricing is simple: 35% of your first-year savings, with no upfront cost. You only pay if you save.
The proof is in our results: our customers win 88% of the time, save an average of $774 a year, and rate us 4.7 stars across more than 3,000 reviews. We also monitor your valuation year over year, so you don't miss the next reassessment window in 2027.
Colorado SB26-116 closes one door for senior movers, but the appeal keeps another wide open. Start your Colorado appeal with zero upfront cost, and you only pay if you save.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SB26-116 End QSPR?
Yes. SB26-116 ends the Qualified Senior Primary Residence classification for property tax years that begin on or after Jan. 1, 2027, and Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law on June 2, 2026.
When: 2026 or 2027?
QSPR applies for tax year 2026 (payable in 2027). The classification officially ends on Jan. 1, 2027.
Can I Still Apply for 2026?
No. The 2026 QSPR application deadline was July 15, 2026, and that window has closed, so there is no 2027 cycle to apply for. If you moved and missed it, focus on appealing your home's actual value, which stays open to every owner.
What Are My Options if I Moved and No Longer Qualify for the Standard Exemption?
You can rebuild toward the standard exemption's 10-year requirement, explore the state's deferral program, and appeal your home's actual value each reassessment cycle. These programs are in the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S. 39-3-203 for the exemption and C.R.S. 39-3.5 for deferral), and the appeal stays open to every owner as the lever we pull for you in Colorado.
