Local Disabled Veterans Offered Property Tax Cuts

The San Diego County Assessor’s Office launched a campaign to spread the word about a program that offers a property tax break for disabled veterans.

The campaign is called “One Million Thanks for Veterans” and is a collaboration between the San Diego County Assessor’s office, local realtor and veterans associations. The goal: give back $1 million dollars to thousands of local disabled veterans in property tax breaks.

“Working with the real estate community, specifically with the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors, they identify people as they go to buy a house, this can help people qualify for a house. And working with the Veterans Association, they work with all veterans whether they’re 50-percent, or not disabled at all, plus those that are at the 100-percent level --- working together we’ve been able to make a significant increase and we’re going to try to make it even better,” said San Diego County Assessor Ernest J. Dronenburg, Jr.

The California Constitution allows assessors to qualify disabled veterans or a surviving spouse with an exemption that reduces the veteran’s property taxes by up $1,400 annually, according to Jordan Marks, a Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate for San Diego County Assessor Recorder County Clerk.

To take advantage of the tax break, a veteran must be rated 100-percent disabled or unemployable from a service-connected injury and not be discharged dishonorable. The program also allows for veterans to get money back for property taxes paid on their home up to 8 years back, according to Marks.

The “One Million Thanks for Veterans” campaign kicked off at the beginning of 2018. Since that time, the program has helped 9,500 San Diego County veterans thus far, according to San Diego County Assessor Ernest J. Dronenburg, Jr.

“Since we started making that push, we’ve put almost $5 million dollars back in the hands of these veteran families here in San Diego County and that’s $5 million dollars to making their home ownership more affordable, $5 million dollars toward making them more comfortable and it’s right here in San Diego County, the money doesn’t go anywhere else,” said Jordan Marks, a Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate for San Diego County Assessor Recorder County Clerk.