Polk County grants up to $1,500 a year, capped at the county property tax paid, to a homesteading resident who served in the Afghanistan or Persian Gulf combat zones in that year, or to the unremarried surviving spouse. Apply to Veteran Services within four years of the tax year. It is subject to appropriation.
Article V of chapter 11.6 of the Polk County Code (Ordinance 07-011, 2007) creates the Active Military Combat Duty Grant Program, run by the county's Veterans Services Division.
Who. A resident who owned a Polk County homestead with a valid homestead exemption on December 31 of the year, was serving in the military or had received an honorable discharge from active duty, and served on active duty, in the reserves or in the Guard in a "currently designated combat zone" during that year: the zones of Executive Order 13239 (Afghanistan and its airspace) and Executive Order 12744 (the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, the northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates). Any tax year from 2003 counts. The unremarried surviving spouse of a qualifying member can also apply.
How much. The lesser of $1,500 or the county's own ad valorem tax paid on the homestead that year, which excludes school board, water management district and municipal service taxing unit taxes, "regardless of the number of days" served in the zone. Grants are "subject to funds appropriated".
Applying. File the county's application (revised November 2018) with Veterans Services, PO Box 9005, Drawer HS 08, Bartow 33831-9005 (863-534-5220), with a document showing the dates in the combat zone, the Polk County tax receipt for the year and proof of the homestead exemption, no later than December 31 of the fourth tax year after the year of service. A willfully false application is a misdemeanor and bars future grants.
The deployment exemption in section 196.173, which reduces the homestead's taxable value for named operations, is a separate State benefit; see the Florida entry.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Polk County Active Military Combat Duty Grant
Gate
Rule
Polk homestead and service in a designated combat zone
A serving or honorably discharged member with a Polk homestead who served in the Afghanistan or Persian Gulf combat zones that year, or the unremarried surviving spouse. No rating is involved.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.