(Long Island, NY) Senator Jack M. Martins (R-C-I, Mineola) today announced that legislation (S.4810) he sponsors to help veterans qualify for three specific property tax exemptions has passed the Senate.
The bill directs the State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance, in consultation with the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs, to develop a list of acceptable documents that veterans can use to prove they qualify for three real property tax exemptions:
- The Eligible Funds exemption;
- The Alternative Veterans exemption; and
- The Cold War Veterans exemption.
According to the legislation, the Commissioner must work with the New York State Director of the Division of Veterans’ Affairs to develop this list of documents and supply this information to local county tax assessors. Every county assessor keeps this information in a manual that is updated each year by the Office of Real Property Tax Services.
“For quite some time, the Department of Taxation and Finance has been working with the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs to supply a list of acceptable documents that veterans can used to establish their eligibility for these three veterans’ tax exemptions,” explained Senator Martins. “This bill simply puts this practice on the books and into state law so that local assessors can continue to help veterans qualify for these exemptions. It ensures that this information is available to the numerous veterans advocates who help those who have served in our military so that they can file for these exemptions properly and receive the tax breaks they deserve.”
Included on the list of acceptable documents is the certificate of release or discharge from active duty, also known as the DD-214 form, and the Honorable Service Certificate/Report of Causality from the department of defense.
The bill also states that the complete list of acceptable military records must be made available on the websites of the Division of Veterans’ Affairs and the Office of Real Property Tax Services.
The bill was sent to the Assembly.
