Lawmakers in Augusta have approved a bill providing property tax relief to a broader group of Maine veterans and their families, while also extending a greater measure of relief to veterans with qualifying disabilities.
The version of the bill supported by legislators in the House and Senate looks markedly different, however, from the original draft introduced last year by Rep. Benjamin C. Hymes (R-Waldo).
At first, this bill — LD 1737 — was designed to allow qualifying veterans to reduce their state property tax bill by up to $5,000, replacing the current exemption, which instead allows them to take $5,000 off their property’s valuation.
Click Here to Read the Original Draft of LD 1737
The amended version of the bill, however, primarily seeks to provide relief to Maine veterans by expanding the statutory eligibility criteria for a deduction.
Under this new legislation, a veteran is no longer required to have served during a federally recognized war period in order to receive this relief. Additionally, certain survivors would also be able to access these benefits — including an un-remarried widow or minor child — in the event of a veteran’s death.
Also encompassed under the proposed law would be the parent of a deceased veteran who is 62 or older and is an un-remarried widow or widower receiving compensation from the Federal Government based upon the service-connected death of his or her child.
The amended version of LD 1737 would also lower the amount taken off the value of a veteran’s property for tax purposes from $6,000 to $5,000, reserving the $6,000 deduction for veterans 62 and older.
The bill does, however, include more significant deductions for veterans with a service-connected disability rating from the federal government of 60 percent or greater, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the extent of their disability.
Unlike under the original draft of this legislation, all of these deductions are taken off a property’s valuation, not the amount of taxes owed by a veteran or qualified family member.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 1737 As Amended
A recent study by personal finance website WalletHub found that Mainers bear the nation’s highest property tax burden at 4.86 percent.
For comparison, residents of Alabama — the state with the lowest burden — pay just 1.33 percent of their personal income in property taxes each year.
[RELATED: Mainers Bear Nation’s Highest Property Tax Burden, 4th Highest Tax Burden Overall: WalletHub Study]
Lawmakers in both the House and Senate voted to pass the amended version of LD 1737 without taking a roll call.
The bill will now face final votes in both chambers before being sent to Gov. Janet Mills (D) for a signature.
The Maine Wire was unable to immediately reach Rep. Hymes for comment.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="27132 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=27132">3 Comments
what started out a decent bill, ending up being crap… go figure. would love to have seen the original bill passed, followed up by expanding vets who qualify…. this program saves veterans like 10 bucks at best!
As usual, New Hampshire eats Maine’s lunch. For 37 years living in NH, I was able to take $500 off my tax bill as a veteran.
What a slap in the face to all veterans living in Maine! I was waiting to see if Rep. B. Hymes version of LD 1737 passed before considering a move to Maine. Even Senate President Troy Jackson’s bill would have been good. So conclusion, if you’re a veteran with or without disabilities don’t move or live in Maine or even Vermont both have shit Veteran benefits.