Legislation I sponsored to protect California’s disabled veterans has become law. Senate Bill 1113, authored by Senator Steve Knight (R-Antelope Valley), passed the Legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support, and has been signed by Governor Brown.
This new law will help those who bravely served our country. Bureaucratic delays will never again rob veterans of the tax benefits that are rightfully theirs.
Under California law, veterans who receive a 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be eligible for a property tax exemption on the value of their home up to $124,932 or $187,399 in 2014 and equivalent amounts adjusted for inflation in future years. The exemption starts on the date of disability and disabled veterans may claim a refund for up to four years of back taxes paid.
Unfortunately, due to VA backlogs, some veterans have had to wait more than four years to receive their disability rating certifications. As a result, they’ve missed out on thousands of dollars in property tax refunds to which they were entitled and anticipated receiving.
SB 1113 increases the availability of refunds on taxes previously paid from four years to eight years, allowing veterans to receive the full benefit of their exemption, even if the rating process takes more than four years to complete.
As Senator Knight put it, veterans who are disabled as a result of serving our country shouldn’t be harmed by delays over which they have no control. Now disabled veterans who have been frustrated by bureaucratic delays can still claim this important property tax exemption.