Ocean County lawmakers hope to extend Veterans Tax Exemptions to surviving spouses

Ocean County 9th district Senator Chris Connors (R), Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (R) and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove (R) are introducing legislation to make surviving military spouses eligible for the annual veterans' exemption under New Jersey's gross income tax.

The 9th District delegation’s legislation will reflect the recent increase in the veterans’ income tax exemption from $3,000 to $6,000 that spouses would be eligible to receive.

Their legislation (S-898/A-697) is a companion bill to the Veterans' benefit program and the bill being introduced would change current law to require the payment of the $750 annual compensation payable to a surviving spouse of a blind or severely disabled veteran.

Under S-898/A-697, payments would begin from April 9, 1985 for veterans who died before that date and from the date of the veteran’s death, regardless of when the surviving spouse files the application for this benefit, for veterans who died on or after that date.

Here is a statement from Senator Connors, Assemblyman Rumpf and Assemblywoman Gove.

“As members of our delegation serve on the Senate and Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs committees, we fully understand that veterans’ families are deserving of benefits on account that they too sacrificed for our nation.

Any tax relief that can be offered to our veterans and their families is helpful, including surviving spouses who may be struggling financially.

If Trenton can find money to pay the legal fees of illegal aliens facing deportation, then it can certainly find the money to provide needed tax relief to veterans’ surviving spouses.”

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