Military veterans who are totally disabled or cannot work because of service-related injuries will pay no property taxes on their homes under a new tax exemption approved by the Legislature.

“Texas has done the right thing by providing property tax relief for our military men and women who have served their country and paid a heavy price,” Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said.

House Bill 3613 provides an exemption of the total appraised value of the homesteads of Texas veterans who have received a 100 percent disability rating or are considered unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The new law is effective for the 2009 tax year, and swift action is necessary to update local property tax rolls and ensure eligible veterans receive the new tax break.

Eligible disabled veterans must apply for the tax exemption through their county appraisal district. An application form for veterans and appraisal districts to use can be found on the Comptroller’s Web site at http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/vetexempt.pdf.

Veterans may also need to contact their mortgage lenders to adjust their escrow payments.