In order to assist former military members who may wish to apply for this grant, the Hillsborough County Veteran Affairs Office will act as the primary point of contact with the public. Details on how and when to contact the Veteran Affairs Office are provided below.

The grant is being offered to former military members who meet all of the following criteria:

• Provide proof of active military service on January 1, 2006 or later.
  
• Provide proof of active military combat service or receipt of combat duty pay for a minimum of 45 aggregate days or only one (1) day if released from active military service due to illness or injury derived from military service in a combat zone.
  
• Proof of payment of ad valorem property taxes paid to Hillsborough County based on residency in un-incorporated Hillsborough County
  
• Proof of ownership or residency of the military members’ Homestead Exemption primary residence within un-incorporated Hillsborough County Florida
  
• Proof of a Service Connected Disability awarded by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a disability due to serving in a combat zone.
  

How To Apply for This Grant

• Review this information and instructions completely to determine if you qualify for the grant.
  
• Review the application form to determine the exact documents and signatures required to complete the application form. When you have the required documents and signatures, print the application form and complete the entries, attach all documents requested and hand-carry the package to the Veterans Affairs Office. Webmaster link these to the Application Form
  
• If extraordinary circumstances prevent the application from being hand delivered, make sure the proper notarizations and certifications are completed so the application can be processed without delay.

Veteran Affairs Office
1101 E. 139th Ave
Tampa, FL 33613
813-975-2181

• The application will be reviewed and handled as appropriate by the Veterans Affairs Office, then forwarded to the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Court for further review and payment, if appropriate.
  
• Applicants should allow 30 days for processing and to receive payment. If payment is not received within 45 days, call the Veteran Affairs Office to determine the nature of the delay.
  
• Don’t forget to complete a Form W-9.
  

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In order to qualify for this grant, the military member must have served on active military service on or after January 1, 2006.

Military service of a minimum of 45 days in a combat zone are required except only one (1) day is required if the member is discharged from military service due to medical incapacity. Applicants discharged from active military service will need to provide a DD Form 214 showing military service completed after January 1, 2006. This grant is available for veterans serving in active military service beginning on January 1, 2006 or later and that the military service period completed is under honorable conditions.

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General Comments on Active Military Service Combat Duty Requirements

To verify combat duty, the veteran applicant (or representative if the applicant is incapacitated) will be required to produce documents indicating the applicant performed military active duty in a combat zone and received qualifying hazardous duty pay. The most useful document to use as verification of this is a copy of your Leave and Earnings statement provided by your parent military service organization. Other documents may be necessary if the Leave and Earnings Statement is not available. So, contact the Veteran Affairs Office at 975-2181 for guidance if you do not have access to your Leave and Earnings Statement for the period of service that covers your combat duty.

In addition, military orders, DD Form 214, medical records, rating decisions prepared by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other documents may be useful in verifying that the disability occurred while the military member served in a combat zone.

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General Comments on Property Tax

Grants under this program are available on an annual basis (beginning with the 2006 property tax year) with a maximum of $1500 per applicant. The amount of each grant is based on the amount of ad valorem property taxes paid to Hillsborough County based on residency in un-incorporated Hillsborough County. The Hillsborough County Veteran Affairs Office and other county agencies will review your tax notice to determine the correct grant based on the ad valorem taxes paid by the military member, but under no circumstances will the grant exceed $1500 annually.

If you do not know if you pay this specific property tax, you should review your 2006 copy of your Hillsborough County Notice of Ad Valorem Taxes and Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. The entry of importance on the tax notice is the figure listed as TOTAL MILLAGE xxxxxxxAD VALOREM TAXES $$$$$$$ at the end of the top section of the form. Also, in the upper right corner, the tax notice should show the TAX DISTRICT as “A,A1,A2,XA,H,XH,N,N1 or N2”. A sample copy of a property tax form is attached for your convenience.

Please read the note below if you do not reside in Un-incorporated Hillsborough County, such as, within the borders of municipality districts of Tampa, Temple Terrace or Plant City

If your tax notice does not have the entry described above, then you must be paying your property taxes in one of the other Municipality Districts; such as, Tampa, Temple Terrace, or Plant City. In this case, you will not qualify for this grant from Hillsborough County since you are not residing in un-incorporated Hillsborough County. However, the other municipalities are studying their own grant policy and information will be released from these districts when appropriate.

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Proof of Homestead Exemption ownership and/or residency of the military members' un-remarried surviving spouse in a primary residence within un-incorporated Hillsborough County Florida is located on your Hillsborough County Notice of Ad Valorem Taxes and Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. The tax notice shows this homestead exemption status of the property near the bottom of the form under the Assessed Values section.

The standard Homestead Exemption property tax code is "HX5 25000". Again, if you do not have a copy of this document, contact your nearest Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office, or check their web site for obtaining a copy of your Property Tax Notice.

If you are unsure of the nearest tax office location, consult the County section of the blue pages in your telephone directory for telephone numbers and addresses for the most convenient location. A sample copy of a property tax form is attached for your convenience.

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The first year of the Veterans Disability Grant shall be for 2006 tax year. The maximum amount of the Veteran’s Disability Grant per Grant Year for each approved applicant shall not exceed $1,500, or the total amount of the applicant’s Property Taxes, whichever is less.

The amount of the Grant to be awarded to a Disabled Veteran will be calculated by multiplying the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Rating Percentage times the lesser of $1500, or the total amount of Property Taxes paid by the applicant For example, if an applicant who has been assigned a Disability Rating Percentage of 10% paid Property Taxes in excess of $1500 in a Grant Year, the resulting Grant award to that applicant would be $150 ($1500 x 10% = $150), provided the applicant met all of the requirements of the Veterans Disability Grant and this Policy. Alternatively, if an applicant who has been assigned a Disability Rating Percentage sum of 20% has paid Ad Valorem Property Taxes of $1410 in a Grant Year, the resulting Grant award to that applicant would be $282 ($1410 X 20% = $282), provided the applicant met all of the requirements of the Veterans Disability Grant and this Policy.

Veterans may apply for an annual Veterans Disability Grant award for up to a maximum of five consecutive Grant Years, inclusive of the first Grant Year an award was made, provided that the Veteran meets and continues to meet all of the criteria previously explained above. Annual verification of disability status, property tax payments, and homestead exemption are required. Veterans Disability Grants are subject to sufficient funds being appropriated by the Board of County Commissioners.

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