Colorado Legislators – Please treat war widows fairly! Proposed Active Duty Widow(er) Property Tax Exemption

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• Extend Colorado’s disabled veteran’s survivor property tax exemption to the widow(er) of a soldier, sailor, airman or marine who dies on active service in the line of duty. The average benefit is $466. • Colorado only provides the exemption to a widow if the veteran was already receiving it. The death of our husbands in the line of duty during combat or combat support did not allow any opportunity to complete Colorado's application. Colorado is unique among the states in providing benefits for disabled veterans’ widows, but not for active duty widows. Proposed: The surviving spouse of a servicemember who dies of service-connected causes while on active duty is entitled to an exemption of $100,000 of the first $200,000 of assessed value if:: • The veteran was a legal resident of Colorado (regardless of duty station at the time of death) on January 1st of the year he or she died, and • The spouse continues to reside, or if returning to Colorado from active duty posting to obtain the property as his or her permanent residence, and holds legal or beneficial title, and • The spouse does not remarry • The spouse applies for the exemption, producing a letter from the US Department of Veterans Affairs that attests to the service-connected death while on active duty This benefit is provided in the same manner as the benefits for the surviving spouse of a veteran with a service-connected total and permanent disability, but an important difference is that the servicemember who dies on active duty does not need to have owned the homestead property at the time of his or her death. This is to facilitate survivors returning to Colorado from their active duty postings following the service member's death to then purchase a home. Gold Star Wives of America, Denver Chapter Major W. Carter, USAF Retired (volunteer advocate) Tel: (971) 241-0322 email: [email protected] web: http://www.cogoldstarfamilies.blogspot.com