Ernst repays $1.9K tax break claimed in error

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has repaid $1,900 to the Office of Tax and Revenue after a newspaper questioned her about a tax break she had been claiming on her condo in Washington for years.

The Des Moines Register, which brought the issue to Ernst’s attention, reports that she wrote a check to the agency’s Washington, D.C. office last week.

A spokesman for the first-term Republican says the homestead tax credit claim was made in error and immediately returned when it was brought to the senator’s attention.

The credit only applies to a homeowner’s primary residence, and Washington’s homestead tax application instructions specify that Congressional members are generally ineligible.

Public records show Ernst had claimed the exemption in Washington and Iowa since 2016.

It’s unclear if Ernst will face any penalty for the claim.