Tax season is about to begin, and veterans can look forward to a newly updated tax credit for next year.
Rick Brideau of the Londonderry Assessor’s Office explained that starting in 2018, veterans will see a change in the tax credit they get for serving their country. It’s called the “All Veterans’ Tax Credit,” and it was officially adopted by the state last year. It will be phased in over three years to total $500 that will be taken off a veteran’s property tax bill.
Starting this year, all qualified veterans will get a $100 tax credit. Next year will see it increased to $300, while 2020 will offer a $500 credit.
The official statement by the Assessor’s Office states there are four criteria that a veteran must meet to quality for the tax credit. First, he or she “must be a resident of New Hampshire for at least one year preceding April 1 in the year in which the tax credit is claimed.” Secondly, veterans must provide a copy of DD Form 214 (a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and proof of service. Third, he or she must have served on active duty in the armed forces of the United State for no less than 90 days. Lastly, he or she must have been “honorably discharged or an officer honorably separated from the service.”
Like all tax credits, “it automatically comes off. You don’t have to worry about it,” said Brideau.
The only thing veterans would have to worry about is if his or her property is in an irrevocable Trust. The credit cannot be applied to the property tax bill if the property in question is in this kind of trust, since the veteran is not technically the owner of said property. If the veteran is the owner, then the credit will be subtracted from the bill that the vet considers his or her primary residence.
Veterans who wish to apply for the credit should head down to the Assessor’s Office and say hello to Brideau and his staff. Be sure to have a PA-29 form, since that will need to be filled out once in the office. Vets will also need a current driver’s license and a DD Form 214. A Veteran Credit Oath of Residency form will also need to be brought and filled out in the office.
If a veteran has property that is part of a Trust, as long as it’s not irrevocable, then a copy of the trust must be brought along with a PA-33 form (Statement of Qualification for Property Tax Credit, Exemption of Tax Deferral). That form, like many of the other ones needed to apply for the credit, need to be completed in the Assessor’s Office.
Applying for the credit is not a one-time thing. “We require people to renew every couple of years to make sure people still live in town,” said Brideau.
His job is to assess the value of each property in town. “It’s all taken into consideration before it goes over to the collectors,” Brideau said. “It’s a bigger job than I thought it was,” he laughed. That hasn’t stopped him from doing it for the last 30-years, 18 of which have been in Londonderry.
With all that experience, anyone with questions can reach out to Brideau and his staff at (603) 432-1100 and dial extension 135.
“We’re pretty good about answering the phones here,” said Brideau. “We make a priority of it.”