Property tax relief for eligible veterans is on the way, even
though the details are still a little sketchy.
The Tennessee Comptroller's office that deals with property tax
waivers, as well as local tax offices, have received a slew of calls
concerning new legislation passed last week.
The new law allows
service-connected disabled veterans with a "total and permanent"
Department of Veterans Affairs rating to not pay property taxes.
That's an average annual savings of more than $800 for about 2,100
state veterans. It's estimated about one-third of those eligible
live in Montgomery County. The previous law let only those with a
combat-related injury to qualify.
Assistant to the Comptroller Tom Fleming said he will meet with
VA officials this week to work out exactly what the law means and
who will be eligible. For example, widows of veterans who died in
combat or of a combat-related injury are eligible. It's unknown if
that same law will be extended to the widows of veterans who died of
service-related injuries.
"We're actually meeting with the VA Thursday to discuss what
their interpretation and our interpretation is of the legislation."
Fleming said.
"We're working as fast as we can to get it all ironed out and be
prepared to make it apply as the legislators intended. We're
certainly pleased about the legislation. It's the opportunity to
help individuals that served our country."
Montgomery County Trustee Brenda Radford said her office has
received more calls within the last few weeks about the new law. She
also gets inquiries about the property tax relief for widows and
widowers of combat veterans and the elderly who meet minimum income
limits.
"The (veterans property tax relief) is really something that our
deserving veterans have waited a long time for. We were the only
state in the nation that kept the wording as combat-related,"
Radford said.
As of now, the new law will apply to the 2007 property tax paid
and those eligible will be exempt from both city and county taxes up
to $1,374.
Since county property tax is paid between October and February,
Radford said the new application forms will not be available from
her office until early fall. For the city tax exemption, the old
forms will be used and can be picked up at City Hall, One Public
Square. First time applicants will be required to still pay the 2007
taxes, but will be reimbursed — if approved — through the state or
by the mortgage company if taxes are included in the house payments.
"It's up to us to accept the application and it's up to the state
to approve it," Radford said.
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