Veterans rated as permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability have only a few weeks left to apply for a program that would grant them a partial exemption on their property taxes.
Eligible veterans wanting to take part in the Property Tax Reduction for Disabled Veterans Program must apply on or before November 1 to their county assessor. Once you have qualified for the program, you need not reapply again. The program exempts the first $150,000 of valuation of a disabled veteran’s property from property taxes. For the purposes of the program, property is defined as the house (including manufactured and mobile homes), garages, and the lot upon which it sits or one acre, whichever is less. Because the budgets and tax levies for the property taxes payable in 2024 have already been set, veterans eligible for this program will first see the reduction in their property taxes payable in 2025.
To be eligible, the veteran must have been rated permanently and totally disabled based on the established rating schedule used by the Veteran’s Affairs Rating board. Applicants will be required to provide proof of their eligibility to get the exemption. Such proof can be obtained by calling the Sioux Falls VA Regional Office at 1-800-8271000 and requesting that they send the veteran a statement verifying they are permanently and totally disabled as the result of a serviceconnected disability. A copy of that statement should be presented along with the application.
Applications are now available from county assessors and the Division of Property and Special Taxes. For more information, call the Department of Revenue and Regulation’s toll-free helpline at 1-800-829-9188 and ask for the Division of Property and Special Taxes. Questions can also be directed to your county Director of Equalization or Local Veteran’s Service Officer. For those individuals who may not know who their Veteran’s Service Officer is, a complete listing can be found online at www.state.sd.us.
