Tax Planning

AZ Prop 130 Could Change Property Tax Breaks For U.S. Veterans

by
Julie Farless
on
10/30/2022
AZ Prop 130 Could Change Property Tax Breaks For U.S. Veterans

In 1989, the Arizona Court of Appeals made a change to the State Constitution that has been impacting military veterans ever since. 

At that time, a property tax rule that allowed veterans with disabilities, people with total and permanent disabilities, widows and widowers to receive exemptions was ruled unconstitutional because it only applied to veterans who were Arizona residents prior to entering the armed services. Disabled veterans in The Grand Canyon State have not been able to receive property tax exemptions since.

Now, thanks to Proposition 130, that could all change.

What is Arizona Prop 130?

Proposition 130 would reinstate property tax exemptions for veterans with disabilities, people with total and permanent disabilities, widows and widowers, regardless of when they became Arizona residents. Only one exemption would be allowed per person, however. 

The exemption would provide tax relief for thousands of veterans throughout the state. Tucson ABC affiliate KGUN 9 spoke to Corona resident Samba Jargu, who suffers from a variety of medical conditions following exposure to toxic chemicals and burn pits while serving the United States overseas. 

Jargu has been diagnosed with at least 19 conditions, including heart failure. He also had his thyroid removed.

Currently, Jargu - and many other veterans like him - do not qualify for property tax exemptions in Arizona, leaving some people homeless. Jargu himself has experienced homelessness at various points, he told the news outlet. 

He originally hails from Virginia, which rendered him ineligible for the previous exemption. He told KGUN, "It's extremely disappointing. It happens to a lot of people."

What are people saying about Proposition 130?

Arizona Proposition 130, like most ballot measures nationwide, has both proponents and opponents. 

County leaders who support the property tax proposal issued a statement urging voters to vote "YES" on Tuesday. Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook wrote:

"Our veterans make extraordinary sacrifices to preserve our freedoms. During their service, some of our heroic veterans suffer permanent disabilities. Arizona's constitution recognizes the extraordinary sacrifices our disabled veterans have made to our country and state. However, a defect in the language of Arizona's constitution caused a federal court to prohibit county assessors from accepting veterans' property tax exemptions.

Proposition 130 allows Arizona to do right by our veterans. A "YES" vote will allow our disabled

veterans to claim residential property tax exemptions."

Those who stand against Proposition 130, though, have also expressed their opinions publicly. In a letter to Tuscon.com, Arizona resident Julie Warnus noted that:

"The Senate Concurrent Resolution 1011 (from which this proposition derives) states that the proposition ALSO applies to agricultural and business property tax exemptions.

This means that the legislature will be free to grant more generous exemptions to two of their favorite contributors, big business and agriculture, WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.

Even Senator Martin Quezada, the Democratic candidate for Arizona Treasurer, spoke AGAINST this proposition at a recent Zoom meeting that presented arguments for and against each proposition."

Ultimately, voters will decide whether or not Proposition 130 becomes Arizona law on Tuesday, November 8. This isn't the first time Arizona taxes have been in the news lately. In August, the state's Supreme Court made a landmark ruling that voters cannot repeal tax cuts or increases, as measures enacted by the Legislature are not subject to the state's referendum power.

What do you think about Prop 130?

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Julie Farless

Julie Farless

Martinez & Shanken, PLLC is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm based in Gilbert, Arizona. We provide a full range of accounting, bookkeeping, consulting, outsourcing and business services, but we specialize in tax preparation. We work with you to ensure that your personal or business processes are conducted in a manner that ensures ongoing integrity in your financial transactions. We are available to answer your questions and help with your ongoing tax planning and changing business needs.

Deborah Martinez & Earl Shanken
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Arizona

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