House File 2237 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2237 BY WINDSCHITL , ZIRKELBACH , and CHAMBERS A BILL FOR An Act relating to an additional homestead credit available 1 to disabled veterans and including effective date and 2 applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5968YH (4) 83 md/sc
H.F. 2237 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 425.15A Disabled veteran tax 1 freeze. 2 1. For purposes of this section, unless the context 3 otherwise requires: 4 a. “Base year” means the fiscal year immediately preceding 5 the first fiscal year in which the additional homestead 6 credit under this section is allowed on the disabled veteran’s 7 homestead. 8 b. “Disabled veteran” means either of the following: 9 (1) A veteran who is entitled to compensation or who, but 10 for the receipt of military retirement pay, would be entitled 11 to compensation under laws administered by the secretary of the 12 United States department of veterans affairs. 13 (2) A person who was discharged or released from active duty 14 because of a service-connected disability. 15 2. A disabled veteran who is eligible for the credit allowed 16 under section 425.1 may claim an additional homestead credit 17 pursuant to this section. To claim the credit under this 18 section, the disabled veteran shall file on or before June 30 19 of the base year for which the veteran is first claiming the 20 credit. The amount of the credit equals the amount of property 21 taxes, less the regular homestead credit allowed under section 22 425.1, due and payable in the coming fiscal year that exceeds 23 the amount of property taxes, less the regular homestead credit 24 allowed under section 425.1, that were due and payable in the 25 base year. The credit under this section is payable from the 26 homestead credit fund created in section 425.1. 27 3. Upon the filing and allowance of the claim, the claim 28 shall be allowed on the disabled veteran’s homestead for 29 successive years without further filing as long as the property 30 is legally and equitably owned and used as a homestead by 31 the disabled veteran on July 1 of each of those successive 32 years. The credit allowed shall be continued to the estate 33 of the disabled veteran who is deceased or the surviving 34 spouse and any child, as defined in section 234.1, who are the 35 -1- LSB 5968YH (4) 83 md/sc 1/ 2
H.F. 2237 beneficiaries of the deceased, disabled veteran, so long as the 1 surviving spouse remains unmarried. 2 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICABILITY. This Act, being 3 deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment 4 and applies to property taxes due and payable in fiscal years 5 beginning on or after July 1, 2010. 6 EXPLANATION 7 This bill provides that the property tax on a disabled 8 veteran’s homestead shall not increase from year to year. To 9 receive this credit, the veteran must file on or before June 30 10 in a manner similar to filing for the regular homestead credit. 11 Once the claim is filed and allowed, the veteran does not have 12 to file for successive years so long as the property is still 13 owned and used by the veteran as a homestead. 14 A disabled veteran is one who is entitled to compensation for 15 injuries from active duty or would have received compensation 16 but for retirement pay or is one who was discharged or released 17 from active duty because of a service-connected disability. 18 The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to property 19 taxes due and payable in fiscal years beginning on or after 20 July 1, 2010. 21 -2- LSB 5968YH (4) 83 md/sc 2/ 2