Thousands of disabled veterans in Indiana qualify for a newly expanded property tax benefit. But the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs says those veterans may not yet know about the savings.
House Enrolled Act 1210, signed into law earlier this year, eliminates property taxes for what the state calls “totally disabled veterans.” The same law also removes a property value cap for more than 50,000 other veterans in Indiana.
But the varying benefits depend on a level of disability set by the armed forces.
“Veterans, if they if they’re discouraged or have skepticism, they’ll just not go get the benefit, right?” said Jake Adams, director of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs. “The VA isn’t hasn’t made itself known as this most popular thing. But in Indiana, our property tax benefits are one of the highest and most complemented resource that we have, right?”
Read More: Lawmakers make tweaks to property tax reform, affecting businesses and veterans
He says all veterans over the age of 62 with at least a 10 percent compensation rating and an honorable discharge would qualify for a $250 credit.
Before House Enrolled Act 1210, disabled veterans were not eligible for property tax savings if the assessed value of their property was over $240,000.
Adams says to receive the benefits, veterans should contact their county veteran service officers. The deadline to apply is January 15.
Thomas Ouellette is Indiana Public Radio's reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu.
