MADISON – More disabled veterans will become eligible for property tax relief under legislation that cleared the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means today with wide bipartisan support. This proposal, Assembly Bill (AB) 245, increases the eligibility for the Disabled Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit to more of our state’s deserving disabled veterans.
Representative James Edming (R-Glen Flora) and Senator André Jacque (R-De Pere), the authors of this measure, applaud the committee’s passage of this important legislation and thank Chairman Macco and committee members for their support.
“As I’ve traveled around my district over the past few years, one of the top concerns I’ve heard from veterans and veterans organizations is the need to increase the eligibility for this property tax credit,” Rep. Edming said. “From my conversations with colleagues in the legislature and statewide veterans organizations, I’ve learned that this issue is a priority for veterans statewide. By expanding the eligibility for this tax credit we are providing needed property tax relief that will allow more of our disabled veterans to stay in their homes.”
Currently, a veteran’s service-connected disability rating must be 100% in order to qualify for this credit. Under AB 245, veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% and above would now qualify. The maximum credit that an eligible person could claim is multiplied by the percentage of that person’s service-connected disability rating. For example, an eligible veteran with a 70% disability rating may claim a 70% property tax credit.
“When they deployed, our veterans wrote out a blank check with their lives to defend our way of life, and we will never be able to fully repay them,” Sen. Jacque said. “This legislation is a common sense way to better meet our ongoing commitment to those who have sacrificed and suffered hardship for our freedom.”
The bill’s authors look forward to this bill being scheduled for a vote in the full Assembly.