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Please Note: The annual deadline for all exemption application filings is March 1st. After that deadline has passed, we begin accepting applications for the following year’s assessment roll in July. |
The Cold War Veterans’ exemption allows for a property tax exemption, to a maximum of 15%, for veterans who served on active duty (exclusive of training) in the United States armed forces during the Cold War, defined as September 2, 1945 through December 26, 1991. The law also provides an additional exemption for disabled veterans equal to one-half of their service-connected disability rating.
The exemption is subject to dollar limits and only applies to the primary residence of the veteran. The application form for the exemption is available in our office or it can be downloaded here. Applications must be filed with our office by our taxable status date – March 1st.
Ownership
Legal title to the property must be in the name of the veteran or the spouse of the veteran or both, or the unremarried surviving spouse of the veteran.
Eligibility
The exemption is available to veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. armed services from September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991 and who are not receiving either the eligible funds or Alternative Veterans’ Exemption. Veterans who served during “conflict periods” between these dates should review the eligibility requirements for the Alternative Veterans’ Exemption.
Information To Prove Eligibility
Together with the exemption application, the veteran must also submit a copy of his or her discharge of release from the U.S. Armed Forces under honorable conditions or a letter from the NYS Division of Veterans’ Services (DVS) stating that the veteran now meets the character of discharge criteria for all of the benefits and services listed in the Restoration of Honor Act. The veteran’s Form DD-214 contains most of the information our office needs to determine eligibility. Other written documentation may also be necessary to prove eligibility, such as Veterans Administration documentation of a disability rating, etc. Proof of residency must also be submitted with the application.