Vets to get help from new tax law

PROVO — For many disabled Utah veterans, this coming September will mark the end of a long-standing requirement that every year snags at least 30 veterans in Utah County and puts one of their benefits at risk.

Starting in January 2008, veterans who have property tax abatements on file with the county will no longer have to re-file the forms each year, as long as the veteran's status stays the same.

Former legislation required veterans to re-file an abatement form, which waives a portion of the veterans' property tax, with the county each year by Sept. 1, regardless of whether the veteran's benefit status had changed.

The requirement has often been a stumbling block for aging veterans who have been confused at the process and miss their deadline to file with the county.

If veterans file late, they risk losing the benefit of having a reduced property tax, and they must appeal their case in front of the Utah County Commission.

"Every year we have this problem," County Commissioner Larry Ellertson said. "Try as we may to avoid confusion ... it just hap- pens."

This year, commissioners listened to about 30 late veteran abatement cases. Many of the veterans received an extension when it was their first time to file late, but in cases where veterans did not personally appear in front of the commission, or if it was the second time they filed late, they did not receive the same leniency.

"My approach to this is I'd like to be as lenient with this as I can without doing something that isn't within the law," Ellertson said. "My feeling is that I'd like the veterans to receive the benefits they're entitled to."

In 2006, each veteran could qualify for up to $206,125 in tax abatements, depending on how disabled the veteran was. The abatement amount is not supposed to exceed the total value of the veteran's property that is entitled to the tax exemption, according to legislation.

Ellertson said the problem with approving too many late abatements is it can throw off the county's estimate for the tax levy when assessing property tax.

The county normally makes adjustments for those who receive abatements in order to create a balance in the tax levy, Ellertson said. Abatement estimations are made at the beginning of the year based on previous abatement applications the county receives.

Leaders in the veteran community know what a pain the annual filing requirement has been for veterans. Thad Jensen, former state commander of the Utah chapter of the American Legion and vice chairman of the national committee of homeland security for the American Legion, was late himself once.