AN ACT to allow disabled veterans to prequalify for the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 105‑277.1C reads as rewritten:

§ 105‑277.1C.  Disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion.

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(f)        Application. – An application for the exclusion allowed under this section should be filed during the regular listing period, but may be filed and must be accepted at any time up to and through June 1 preceding the tax year for which the exclusion is claimed. An applicant for an exclusion under this section must establish eligibility for the exclusion by providing a copy of the veteran's disability certification or evidence of benefits received under 38 U.S.C. § 2101. An assessor may accept the prequalification notice under subsection (g) of this section to establish eligibility for the exclusion provided in this section in lieu of a veteran's disability certification or evidence of benefits received under 38 U.S.C. § 2101.

(g)        Prequalification. – A disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who has not remarried may apply for prequalification of the property tax relief provided by this section notwithstanding that the disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who has not remarried is not an owner of a permanent residence at the time that the application for prequalification is submitted. It is the intent of the General Assembly to allow taxpayers and lenders to determine, in advance of the purchase of a primary residence, the availability of the tax benefit provided by this section in order to facilitate omitting exempted amounts from determinations of payment calculations. An application for prequalification under this subsection may be filed at any time, must be submitted on a form approved by the Department, and must be accompanied by a copy of the veteran's disability certification or evidence of benefits received under 38 U.S.C. § 2101. Application forms under this subsection must be made available by the assessor. Upon receipt of an application under this subsection, the assessor of the county in which the application is filed must notify the applicant of the applicant's qualification for eligibility for property tax relief under this section within 30 days. Upon purchasing a permanent residence, an applicant who has received prequalification under this subsection must apply for the property tax relief provided by this section as required under subsection (f) of this section.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective for taxes imposed for taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2024.