Veteran Exemptions
Honorably discharged veterans having served 90 consecutive days during a wartime period or having a disability rating may be eligible for exemptions. Resident veterans who already filed with the town for their tax exemption, and are not disabled or low-income, do not need to file again. Please continue reading to see if you need to file with the Town.
If you do need to file your papers, bring them to the Assessment Office, Room 142 of Town Hall. Our office hours are Monday and Wednesday: 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Tuesday: 7:30 AM-4:30 PM, Thursday: 8:30 AM-7:00 PM, and closed Friday and holidays.
To receive an exemption, resident veterans who have not previously filed with the Town of West Hartford must file the original or a certified copy of their discharge papers (DD214) with the Town Clerk before September 30. This filing only needs to be done once, as long as the veteran remains a town resident.
Active duty service men and women are also entitled to veterans benefits. In lieu of the original or certified copy of a DD214, a copy of active duty orders is required. If the service person was activated as of October 1, this person would be entitled to the same benefits as a discharged veteran. However, the active duty service member would be required to provide active duty orders every year until that person is discharged from the service.
Disabled veterans must file their Disability certificates from the Veteran’s Administration with the Assessment office each year by February 28. The disability certificate must be filed annually until the Veteran reaches age 65. At age 65, filing is no longer required and the exemption will automatically take place.
Disabled veterans who have motor vehicles specially equipped or adapted to accommodate their disability are eligible for a 50% assessment reduction on their vehicle. Annual filing is required for all specially equipped motor vehicles by November 1 of each year.
An additional exemption is available for low-income veterans. Current income limits from the 2009 calendar year, including Social Security, are $32,300 for a single person and $39,500 for a married couple. If the veteran is 100% totally disabled, his or her Social Security income is not included in the total income. Applications for this exemption must be filed on or before October 1. To maintain the exemption, applications must be filed every two years. You will be required to leave copies of your income with the Assessor.
To view the qualifications for veteran's exemptions, click here.
