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No Property Tax for Some Disabled Vets in Texas
Information provided by Thomas C. Weiss - Published: 2009-07-05
Are you a disabled veteran living in Texas? If so - this might be some good news for you!
The Texas Legislature recently passed House Bill 3613, a Bill that provides an exemption of the total appraised value of the homesteads of Texas veterans who have received a 100% disability rating, or who are considered to be unemployable by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Bob O'Brien, Senior Vice Commander of Longview's VFW Post 4002, stated that the law has the potential to help a number of veterans in Texas.
Veterans who are eligible have to apply for the exemption through their particular county appraisal districts. The law is effective for this tax year, meaning that eligible veterans need to act quickly to update their tax information. Veterans may also need to contact their mortgage lender in order to adjust their escrow payments.
The discussions about this new exemption have grown at the VFW post Mr. O'Brien is a part of from he says; I can only imagine. I also imagine that it won't be long before word of this travels across the entire nation through Veterans Organizations. With many veterans in America struggling to make ends meet, a Bill like this could help so many of us in America.
Mr. O'Brien is quoted as saying:
"It's great for us, lots of veterans have disabilities that prevent them from working, and this will really help them out financially."
I couldn't agree more. It is also time to take a long look at the rating system in place by the Veterans Administration. The disability rating system that the VA currently uses is extremely outdated, very unfair, and leaves veterans fighting for a higher rating when they should have been given a rating that provides them with the benefits they deserve in the first place. Many veterans in America find themselves with a 10% rating that presents them with very minimal medical coverage and a little over $100 a month, despite disabilities such as PTSD or epilepsy. Bills such as the one that Texas has just passed are a prime example of how America can continue to care for its veterans.
- This web page is from the Disabled World Veterans section which provides: Editorial views and opinions concerning news items regarding veterans and veteran affairs organizations around the world.
