{"id":135324,"date":"2026-05-13T11:28:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T11:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/disabled-veterans-could-get-big-property-tax-breaks-in-california-2\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T11:40:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T11:40:51","slug":"disabled-veterans-could-get-big-property-tax-breaks-in-california-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/disabled-veterans-could-get-big-property-tax-breaks-in-california-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Disabled veterans could get big property tax breaks in California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Sacramento – <\/span>Severely disabled veterans may receive expanded tax breaks in California. <\/p>\n

State lawmakers are considering legislation that would completely exempt 50% of residential property owned by a disabled veteran from taxation, or 100% if their household income does not exceed $40,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen firsthand the financial challenges many disabled veterans face trying to stay in their homes,\u201d Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (R-Indio) said Thursday. \u201cWe always say we support our veterans, but supporting also means taking meaningful action to make their lives more affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonzalez, who introduced Assembly Bill 2022<\/a>A Marine Corps veteran and vice chairman of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. <\/p>\n

This law will apply only to ex-servicemen who have become disabled as a result of their military service. It defines a totally disabled veteran as one who is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of at least two limbs, or is otherwise disabled by an injury or illness. Surviving spouses will be eligible for the same exemption provided they do not remarry. <\/p>\n

The exemption will expire in 2032 so lawmakers can review the bill’s impact before deciding whether to permanently implement the policy. <\/p>\n

California is home to more than 1.8 million former service members, the largest veteran population of any state in the country. most recent census<\/a>. The California Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 184 are 283<\/a> Veterans living in Los Angeles County this year.<\/p>\n

During a legislative hearing earlier this year, Gonzalez told lawmakers that there are approximately 380,000 veterans in the state living with service-connected disabilities. He explained that the rising cost of living in California is particularly challenging for people on fixed incomes, and said that reducing the property tax burden could help keep the most vulnerable veterans from ending up on the streets. <\/p>\n

“For a veteran who has already sacrificed so much, losing their home is not just a financial hardship, it is a failure of our commitment to them,” Gonzalez said. <\/p>\n

The bill has passed two committees with unanimous support and was recently referred to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. <\/p>\n

are currently two property tax exemptions<\/a> Offered solely to disabled veterans in California, according to the State Board of Equalization. <\/p>\n

The basic estate tax exemption, or the $100,000 exemption, is available to all totally disabled veterans. The low income exemption, or $150,000 exemption, is available to totally disabled veterans whose annual household income does not exceed a specified amount \u2013 currently $81,131 \u2013 which is periodically adjusted for inflation. The exemption amount reduces the assessed value of the property, resulting in less property tax payable.<\/p>\n

Patrick Murphy, a professor of urban affairs at the University of San Francisco who focuses on tax policy, is skeptical that the law will have a significant impact on homelessness. <\/p>\n

He said, “Homelessness among veterans is a huge problem; it’s very well documented.” \u201cBut I think if we cataloged the reasons veterans become homeless, the property tax burden on them would be significantly reduced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy also cautioned that Assembly Bill 2022 could face potential legal challenges if signed into law. <\/p>\n

“Since Proposition 13 is written into the California Constitution, I would almost think that it would actually require a proposed ballot initiative to change it,” Murphy said. <\/p>\n

Proposition 13 states that property should be assessed and taxed equally based on the purchase price. It caps property tax rates at 1% of the property’s value at the time of purchase, and limits annual assessment increases to a maximum of 2%. <\/p>\n

Scott Coffman, legislative director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, believes the legislation is on solid ground. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t see any problem,\u201d he said. \u201cDisabled veterans are already exempt. exists in the Constitution,<\/a> So I don’t think Prop. 13 outweighs it because they both exist together.”<\/p>\n

California Teachers Association. Other concerns have also been raised along with the law. <\/p>\n

“We oppose tax breaks that cut into the state’s ability to fully fund public schools by jeopardizing Proposition 98 funding,” spokeswoman Maggie Sisco wrote in an email. <\/p>\n

Proposition 98 guarantees a minimum annual funding amount for K-12 schools and community colleges. This money comes from state funding and local property taxes. <\/p>\n

According to the State Board of Equalization, the state does not reimburse local governments for property tax revenue losses from the disabled veteran exemption.<\/p>\n

The bill is supported by several veterans organizations, including the American Legion, the California State Commanders Veterans Council, and the Vietnam Veterans of America California State Council. <\/p>\n

It is also supported by the California Association. Of realtors. Sanjay Wagle, the association’s senior vice president of government affairs, said property taxes are a concern for many disabled veterans looking to buy a home. <\/p>\n

\u201cMany of our members, frankly, have found them struggling to make ends meet,\u201d Wagle said. \u201cThis type of property tax relief could be significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

One such bill, SB 296<\/a>It is being sponsored by Sens. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) and Suzette Mart\u00ednez Valladares (R-Acton) in the state Senate.<\/p>\n

Another solution, Senate Bill 888,<\/a> There are also calls to reduce the property tax burden for disabled veterans.
The legislation, authored by Senator Kelly Ciarto (R-Murietta), would exclude service-connected disability payments from being included in household income used to determine eligibility for exemptions. <\/p>\n

The unhoused population is difficult to count due to the transient nature of homelessness, but recently analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development indicates that the number of veteran homeless is declining across the country. in 2024 department’s annual census<\/a> 32,882 homeless veterans were found, the lowest figure since the count began in 2009. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sacramento – Severely disabled veterans may receive expanded tax breaks in California. State lawmakers are considering legislation that would completely exempt 50% of residential property owned by a disabled veteran from taxation, or 100% if their household income does not exceed $40,000. \u201cI have seen firsthand the financial challenges many disabled veterans face trying to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":135370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[872,2084,747,13974,1569,1323,18504],"class_list":["post-135324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bible-verse","tag-big","tag-breaks","tag-california","tag-disabled","tag-property","tag-tax","tag-veterans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135324"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135371,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135324\/revisions\/135371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}