LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS 200 W. Washington St., Suite 301 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 233-0696 iga.in.gov FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT LS 6598 NOTE PREPARED: Dec 22, 2021 BILL NUMBER: SB 218 BILL AMENDED: SUBJECT: Property Tax Exemption for Qualified Veterans. FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Mrvan BILL STATUS: As Introduced FIRST SPONSOR: FUNDS AFFECTED: GENERAL IMPACT: Local DEDICATED FEDERAL Summary of Legislation: This bill provides a property tax deduction for an individual or surviving spouse of an individual who has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable. Effective Date: July 1, 2022. Explanation of State Expenditures: Explanation of State Revenues: Explanation of Local Expenditures: County Auditors- County auditors will have to modify forms and policies to accept and process applications for the new deduction. This requirement constitutes an additional workload on county auditors but is within their routine administrative functions and would be implemented with existing staff and resources. Explanation of Local Revenues: Deduction- Beginning with taxes due in 2024, an estimated 440 veterans classified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as Individually Unemployable (IU) will be eligible to receive a $14,000 property tax deduction. The deduction would shift about $140,000 in property taxes from IU veterans to all other taxpayers. Local units could also experience a slight increase in tax cap losses, although the impact is expected to be minimal. Individuals receiving the deduction will see an average savings of approximately $315. Additional Information: Not all veterans with disabilities that prevent them from working are classified by SB 218 1 the VA as Individually Unemployable (IU). IU status may be granted to veterans who do not qualify for disability compensation at the 100% rate on the basis of their service-connected disabilities alone, but meet a threshold rating and are unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. IU veterans receive the same amount of money as a veteran with a 100% rating, but IU status will be revoked if the person in question takes a regular job. Veterans who receive a 100% disability rating on the basis of their service-connected disabilities alone are not considered Individually Unemployable. State Agencies Affected: Local Agencies Affected: County auditors; Local civil taxing units and school corporations. Information Sources: LSA Property Tax Data Base, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Employment Situation of Veterans–2018 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/vet.pdf); US Department of Veterans Affairs, Individual Unemployability, (https://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/serviceconnected/IU.pdf); VA Compensation by County, provided by Lisa M. Goebel, Indianapolis VA Regional Office. Fiscal Analyst: Austin Spears, 317-234-9454. SB 218 2