Fl - 100 % P&t Vets - New Property Tax Info

[carlie]

My County Tax Accessors Office says this doesn't apply to me.

In Nov 2011 the VA adjudicated me to be SC at 100 percent P&T

with an effective date of 2004.

Read this article and see if it may apply to you.

I have emailed Florida's Gov. on this.

"Disabled homeowners could get tax refund under new law

By

Diane Lade, Sun Sentinel

7:27 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2012

Disabled homeowners whose property tax exemptions were held up while they waited for government paperwork certifying their medical conditions now may get a refund under a new state law recently signed by Gov.

Rick Scott

.

Veterans certified as totally disabled, and totally disabled civilians with annual household incomes under $26,350, could have the ad valorem taxes they paid as far back as 2008 returned to them. The blind and some combat-injured partially disabled vets age 65 and older also might qualify for lesser refunds.

Property appraisers' offices are encouraging homeowners not yet certified as disabled by Social Security or the federal veteran's administration, but who believe they will be eligible, to file for an exemption this year. That's because the new rule will allow them to claim the benefit retroactively, as far back as four years — but only from the year in which they first filed an application.

So those disabled homeowners denied an exemption this year because they haven't been certified yet could get back some or all of the 2012 property taxes when the paperwork comes through, said Pat Poston, exemption services director for the Palm Beach CountyProperty Appraiser's Office.

Collette Burgess, an assistant manager with the regional federal veterans service center in St. Petersburg, said establishing service-connected disability can take time because veterans must prove there's a connection between past military service and their current medical condition.

Officials with the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office said they would be reaching out to local veterans their records show have applied for the total disability exemption as far back as 2008, but who got their certification in subsequent years. Although the deadline to file for 2012 tax year exemptions was in March, late filings will be taken through Sept. 18.

The numbers affected by the changes probably will be small. The Florida Department of Revenue lists exemptions for 13,357 Palm Beach and Broward County disabled veterans.

The little-known giveback was tucked into a large package of property tax oversight improvements proposed by the Florida Department of Revenue this past legislative session.

These are some of the homeowners affected:

Totally and permanently service-connected disabled veterans and their spouses, who are exempt from paying all ad valorem taxes.

Totally or permanently disabled non-veterans with incomes under $26,350, who are exempt from paying all ad valorem taxes. There is no income test for civilian quadriplegics.

Veterans with partial service-connected wartime disabilities and their spouses, who receive an annual $5,000 additional exemption.

Blind persons, who receive an annual $500 additional exemption.

Combat-wounded partially disabled veterans age 65 and older, whose property tax bills are discounted a percentage equal to their disability percentage. Veterans must have been Florida residents when they enlisted to be eligible.

Poston said the refund provision originally was proposed for veterans only. "But then they decided it wouldn't be fair to include to other groups of disabled people," he said.

dlade@tribune.com or 954-356-4295

Copyright © 2012, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"

[Philip Rogers]

Carla - I would apply, anyway. Remember "if it can't be read, it wasn't said!" They could be wrong and you lose because you believed them. All decisions/statements must be written, to protect yourself. jmo

pr

[john999]

I got that exemption back in 2002. Not bad and now if the government could offer me low property owner insurance which costs me $3000 this year. We in Florida are paying for Hurricane Andrew. One more bad storm and I am leaving. If a bad one were to hit Tampa bay forget about it. You could not buy insurance at any price in Florida. Many people just go naked on home insurance in Fla.

John

[boomer2]

Carla

Veterans must have been Florida residents when they enlisted to be eligible. Does this apply to you?