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Veteran service officer urges Whitley County veterans to refile under Indiana property-tax change
Summary
Whitley County veteran service officer Josh Smith told commissioners that an Indiana law converting veterans' property-tax deductions into credits takes effect July 1; veterans who currently receive deductions should refile between July 1 and Dec. 30 to switch to the new credit, and 100% disabled or individually unemployable veterans will owe no property taxes under the change.
Josh Smith, Whitley County veteran service officer, told the Board of Commissioners on March 16 that a new Indiana law will convert veterans’ property-tax deductions into property-tax credits and that veterans who currently receive deductions should refile to receive the credit.
“Starting July 1st through the end of the year, we’re going to need to be getting pretty much all the veterans who are already collecting property tax deductions back into the office to refile for the new one,” Smith said. He added that veterans who are 100% disabled or individually unemployable “will have no property taxes starting then.”
Smith said the office has coordinated with the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs and plans outreach — including postcards — to notify affected veterans. He told commissioners the change is expected to put money back in veterans’ pockets and that, while the county may see reduced revenue, the additional spending by veterans will benefit the state economy.
Smith said the refile window to switch from the deduction to the new credit opens July 1 and runs through Dec. 30; filings after that window can still be accepted but the change will apply on the next tax year. He encouraged veterans already receiving deductions to contact the veteran service office after July 1 to complete the switch.
No county-level dollar estimates were provided in the meeting transcript for revenue impacts; Smith described statewide analyses suggesting veterans overall will pay less under the new structure but did not provide localized fiscal projections for Whitley County. The county veteran service office plans outreach and in-person assistance for veterans during the refile period.
