Virginia Law

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6, the General Assembly by general law, and within the restrictions and conditions prescribed therein, shall exempt from taxation the real property, including the joint real property of husband and wife, of any veteran who has been determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor agency pursuant to federal law to have a one hundred percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability, and who occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence. The General Assembly shall also provide this exemption from taxation for real property owned by the surviving spouse of a veteran who was eligible for the exemption provided in this subdivision, so long as the surviving spouse does not remarry. This exemption applies to the surviving spouse's principal place of residence without any restriction on the spouse's moving to a different principal place of residence.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6, the General Assembly by general law, and within the restrictions and conditions prescribed therein, may exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action as determined by the United States Department of Defense, who occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence. The exemption under this subdivision shall cease if the surviving spouse remarries and shall not be claimed thereafter. This exemption applies regardless of whether the spouse was killed in action prior to the effective date of this subdivision, but the exemption shall not be applicable for any period of time prior to the effective date. This exemption applies to the surviving spouse's principal place of residence without any restriction on the spouse's moving to a different principal place of residence and without any requirement that the spouse reside in the Commonwealth at the time of death of the member of the armed forces.

The amendment ratified November 2, 2010, and effective January 1, 2011-Added a new section (6-A).

The amendment ratified November 4, 2014, and effective January 1, 2015-In the heading of the section added "and surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action"; inserted the designation "(a)" at the beginning, and substituted "in this subdivision" for "in this section" in the last sentence of the paragraph; and added a new paragraph (b).

The amendment ratified November 6, 2018, and effective January 1, 2019—In the heading of the section added "and their surviving spouses" after "veterans"; deleted "and continues to occupy the real property as his or her principal place of residence" and added "This exemption applies to the surviving spouse's principal place of residence without any restriction on the spouse's moving to a different principal place of residence" at the end of subsection (a).