Veterans Tax Relief

The Commissioner of the Revenue's Office administers the City's Real Estate Tax Exemption program for Veterans. This is an exemption for 100% service-connected disabled veterans, which will eliminate current real estate taxes for veterans who meet the qualifications below on their primary residence and up to one acre of land. Applications are available online or in the Commissioner's office and may be submitted year-round.

Do You Qualify?

You must meet the following qualifications.

• Disability of Veteran must be 100% service-connected and permanent and total.
• Residence must be the Veteran's primary residence (proof, such as a resident state tax return, may be requested).
• Real estate must be owned and occupied by the disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death occurred on or after January 1, 2011 (spouse must not be remarried).

Required Documentation

• Certification letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs showing original date of rated disability being: (a) 100% service-connected, AND (b) permanent, AND (c) total. 

Veterans can contact the Virginia Department of Veteran's Affairs for assistance with the verification of their service-connected disability rating.

Contact Veterans Services agencies:

• Virginia Department of Veterans Services
• Veterans Affairs Regional Office
  210 Franklin Road SW
  Roanoke, VA 24011
  Phone: 800-827-1000

In the November 2020 general election, a personal property tax exemption on a motor vehicle of a disabled veteran was passed. This exemption provides that one motor vehicle of a veteran who has a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability shall be exempt from local taxes.

The exemption was enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia. The Disabled Veteran's Personal Property Exemption is effective January 1, 2021. The guidelines were set forth in the Code of Virginia §58.1 - 3668 B and are as follows.

• The veteran is rated 100% service-connected, permanently, and totally disabled.
• The vehicle is owned by the disabled veteran, jointly with a spouse or owned solely by the spouse of a disabled veteran.
• The vehicle is used primarily by or for the disabled veteran.

The types of motor vehicles eligible for exemption are:

• Passenger car
• Pickup truck
• Panel truck

If you meet these qualifications, please complete the application and mail it to the Commissioner of the Revenue's office. You may also bring the application to the Commissioner of Revenue's office. If you have not already provided the Summary of Benefits letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs previously, a copy of that letter must be attached to the application for exemption. The Summary of Benefits letter must provide verification of 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability. If you are unsure if we have the letter on file, you may call our office at 540-375-3019 to verify.

Once you have returned the application and identified the one vehicle that you wish to claim, the taxes will be adjusted accordingly. You will still be responsible for payment of the vehicle license fee (VLF,) as the VLF is not exempt as it is a fee, not a tax. A VLF can only be waived on a vehicle that has a current Disable Veteran, POW, or Purple Heart tag issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. You must notify our office if you have one of these plates on your vehicle.

At the beginning of each year, an application will be mailed out to verify the vehicle you wish to claim for the current year. If you trade the exempt vehicle for a new vehicle throughout the year, a new application will need to be filed with the Commissioner of the Revenue's office with the new vehicle information.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the office Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm.