205.5
. (a) Property that constitutes the principal place of
residence of a veteran, that is owned by the veteran, the veteran's
spouse, or the veteran and the veteran's spouse jointly, is exempted
from taxation on that part of the full value of the residence that
does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), as adjusted
for the relevant assessment year as provided in subdivision (h), if
the veteran is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of two or more
limbs, or if the veteran is totally disabled as a result of injury or
disease incurred in military service. The one hundred thousand
dollar ($100,000) exemption shall be one hundred fifty thousand
dollars ($150,000), as adjusted for the relevant assessment year as
provided in subdivision (h), in the case of an eligible veteran whose
household income does not exceed the amount of forty thousand
dollars ($40,000), as adjusted for the relevant assessment year as
provided in subdivision (g).
(b) (1) For purposes of this section, "veteran" means either of
the following:
(A) A veteran as specified in subdivision (o) of Section 3 of
Article XIII of the California Constitution without regard to any
limitation contained therein on the value of property owned by the
veteran or the veteran's spouse.
(B) Any person who would qualify as a veteran pursuant to
paragraph (1) except that he or she has, as a result of a
service-connected injury or disease, died while on active duty in
military service. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
shall determine whether an injury or disease is service connected.
(2) For purposes of this section, property is deemed to be the
principal place of residence of a veteran, disabled as described in
subdivision (a), who is confined to a hospital or other care
facility, if that property would be that veteran's principal place of
residence were it not for his or her confinement to a hospital or
other care facility, provided that the residence is not rented or
leased to a third party. A family member that resides at the
residence is not considered to be a third party.
(c) (1) Property that is owned by, and that constitutes the
principal place of residence of, the unmarried surviving spouse of a
deceased veteran is exempt from taxation on that part of the full
value of the residence that does not exceed one hundred thousand
dollars ($100,000), as adjusted for the relevant assessment year as
provided in subdivision (h), in the case of a veteran who was blind
in both eyes, had lost the use of two or more limbs, or was totally
disabled provided that either of the following conditions is met:
(A) The deceased veteran during his or her lifetime qualified in
all respects for the exemption or would have qualified for the
exemption under the laws effective on January 1, 1977, except that
the veteran died prior to January 1, 1977.
(B) The veteran died from a disease that was service connected as
determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
The one hundred thousand dollar ($100,000) exemption shall be one
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), as adjusted for the
relevant assessment year as provided in subdivision (h), in the case
of an eligible unmarried surviving spouse whose household income does
not exceed the amount of forty thousand dollars ($40,000), as
adjusted for the relevant assessment year as provided in subdivision
(g).
(2) Commencing with the 1994-95 fiscal year, property that is
owned by, and that constitutes the principal place of residence of,
the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran as described in
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) is exempt from
taxation on that part of the full value of the residence that does
not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), as adjusted for
the relevant assessment year as provided in subdivision (h). The one
hundred thousand dollar ($100,000) exemption shall be one hundred
fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), as adjusted for the relevant
assessment year as provided in subdivision (h), in the case of an
eligible unmarried surviving spouse whose household income does not
exceed the amount of forty thousand dollars ($40,000), as adjusted
for the relevant assessment year as provided in subdivision (g).
(3) Beginning with the 2012-13 fiscal year and for each fiscal
year thereafter, property is deemed to be the principal place of
residence of the unmarried surviving spouse of a deceased veteran,
who is confined to a hospital or other care facility, if that
property would be the unmarried surviving spouse's principal place of
residence were it not for his or her confinement to a hospital or
other care facility, provided that the residence is not rented or
leased to a third party. For purposes of this paragraph, a family
member who resides at the residence is not considered to be a third
party.
(d) As used in this section, "property that is owned by a veteran"
or "property that is owned by the veteran's unmarried surviving
spouse" includes all of the following:
(1) Property owned by the veteran with the veteran's spouse as a
joint tenancy, tenancy in common, or as community property.
(2) Property owned by the veteran or the veteran's spouse as
separate property.
(3) Property owned with one or more other persons to the extent of
the interest owned by the veteran, the veteran's spouse, or both the
veteran and the veteran's spouse.
(4) Property owned by the veteran's unmarried surviving spouse
with one or more other persons to the extent of the interest owned by
the veteran's unmarried surviving spouse.
(5) So much of the property of a corporation as constitutes the
principal place of residence of a veteran or a veteran's unmarried
surviving spouse when the veteran, or the veteran's spouse, or the
veteran's unmarried surviving spouse is a shareholder of the
corporation and the rights of shareholding entitle one to the
possession of property, legal title to which is owned by the
corporation. The exemption provided by this paragraph shall be shown
on the local roll and shall reduce the full value of the corporate
property. Notwithstanding any provision of law or articles of
incorporation or bylaws of a corporation described in this paragraph,
any reduction of property taxes paid by the corporation shall
reflect an equal reduction in any charges by the corporation to the
person who, by reason of qualifying for the exemption, made possible
the reduction for the corporation.
(e) For purposes of this section, being blind in both eyes means
having a visual acuity of 5/200 or less, or concentric contraction of
the visual field to 5 degrees or less; losing the use of a limb
means that the limb has been amputated or its use has been lost by
reason of ankylosis, progressive muscular dystrophies, or paralysis;
and being totally disabled means that the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs or the military service from which the veteran was
discharged has rated the disability at 100 percent or has rated the
disability compensation at 100 percent by reason of being unable to
secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
(f) An exemption granted to a claimant in accordance with the
provisions of this section shall be in lieu of the veteran's
exemption provided by subdivisions (o), (p), (q), and (r) of Section
3 of Article XIII of the California Constitution and any other real
property tax exemption to which the claimant may be entitled. No
other real property tax exemption may be granted to any other person
with respect to the same residence for which an exemption has been
granted under the provisions of this section; provided, that if two
or more veterans qualified pursuant to this section coown a property
in which they reside, each is entitled to the exemption to the extent
of his or her interest.
(g) Commencing on January 1, 2002, and for each assessment year
thereafter, the household income limit shall be compounded annually
by an inflation factor that is the annual percentage change, measured
from February to February of the two previous assessment years,
rounded to the nearest one-thousandth of 1 percent, in the California
Consumer Price Index for all items, as determined by the California
Department of Industrial Relations.
(h) Commencing on January 1, 2006, and for each assessment year
thereafter, the exemption amounts set forth in subdivisions (a) and
(c) shall be compounded annually by an inflation factor that is the
annual percentage change, measured from February to February of the
two previous assessment years, rounded to the nearest one-thousandth
of 1 percent, in the California Consumer Price Index for all items,
as determined by the California Department of Industrial Relations.