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Stewart County trustee outlines veteran tax-relief eligibility and application steps
Summary
County trustee Laura told local veterans that 100% service-connected veterans may qualify for property tax relief, detailed application steps (including an F-16 authorization to access VA records) and said approved veterans can also receive a landfill fee exemption for their primary residence.
County Trustee Laura told a gathering of Stewart County veterans that those with 100% service-connected disability may qualify for local property tax relief and explained how to apply.
"As a veteran, if you're a 100% disabled, you may qualify for tax relief," Laura said, describing eligibility for 100% service-connected veterans and noting surviving spouses can qualify if they have not remarried and the property is their primary residence. She gave an income threshold for the county's elderly program this year as $38,004.70 and emphasized that veteran tax relief is not income-tested in the same way.
Laura explained the application process: applicants should visit the trustee's office, bring their 100% service-connected disability letter and photo ID, and complete an F-16 form authorizing the trustee's office to review VA records. "We have an F-16 form that has to be filled out...Once it gets to the VA, it takes a little time," she said, urging veterans to make an appointment or stop by for help completing forms.
She added that once approved the county forwards names to the five-county landfill to provide an exemption from landfill fees for the veteran's primary residence. "We send in your name to the 5 county landfill and you're exempt from your landfill fees," she said, but noted that the exemption applies to only one residence.
Laura also offered practical tips: bring titles or bills of sale for mobile homes, keep documentation of demolished or burned structures for appeals, and consult the trustee's office for prepayment budgeting options. She encouraged veterans who qualify to help spread the word to others who might be eligible.
The trustee asked attendees to follow up directly with the trustee's office for clarifications and said staff will help complete paperwork or mail vouchers and notifications. The briefing closed with an offer of one-on-one assistance from staff remaining after the presentation.
The trustee said final benefit numbers are set annually and expected around August; she cautioned that a lower state equalization factor this year is likely to reduce the dollar value of the benefit compared with prior years.
