Tax relief for disabled Veterans
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona Veterans are about to see some big relief on their property taxes in the 2026 tax year, and the effort to make that happen started right in Yuma.
State Rep. Michael Carbone (R-District 25) said this new law is the least we could do for those who put their lives on the line, “but it also does it goes further it says if your a widower and your spouse passes away and they were a Veteran whatever their disability this carries forward as a benefit. And that’s what this is how do we take care of our vets who have given us the freedoms and liberties we get to enjoy every single day, it’s the least we can do.”
State Rep. Carbone says it’ll help Veterans starting with October’s filing period
“We pay in years which means we always pay our taxes a year behind. So when the first bill comes out which I think is in March/April that will not cover but it will starting forward October 27 based on your threshold is what you’ll benefit from,” says Carbone.
News 11 spoke with Yuma City Council Member and Veteran Mark Martinez who said Veterans have waited a long time for this.
“You know a lot of people say why do veterans get so much assistance, you know there are only two people that are willing to die for you and that is Jesus Christ and the Veteran. Less than 1% of the population will join the military and less than that will see combat so I believe Veterans are deserving of whatever assistance they can,” says Martinez.
This new law takes Arizona from one of the states with the worst tax exemptions for our disabled veterans to now the best one in the country.
“One of the reasons why I believe this makes sense is these are ex service member veterans who sustained an injury, a lifelong injury, and if the VA says they are having a disability of 10% to 100% every single month, then I think that we can see that benefit as far as the state and property tax and thats kind of where this evolved too,” says Josh Pembleton, veteran and Yuma resident.
Pembleton wrote the original proposal and brought it to Carbone.
The idea started from conversations he had with veterans frustrated by Arizona’s current property tax exemption system.
Carbone then took the proposal to the state level and after two years of pushing this effort it was finally signed into law this year.
The law makes it so veterans will be accommodated with the VA disability rating equivalent to their property tax.
“So it’s as simple as what is your rating that’s what you’re going to get credited for in your property tax relief,” says Pembleton.
Veterans can start filing to qualify for property tax exemption in January of 2027.
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