Real Estate Tax Relief

Disabled Veterans

If you are a disabled veteran you may qualify for an exemption from Real Estate Tax if the following criteria is met:

• Real estate must be owned or jointly owned with a spouse by the veteran.
• The real estate must be occupied by the veteran as his/her primary place of residence.
• The veteran must have been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor agency to have a 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability.

The surviving spouse of an eligible veteran may also qualify provided the death of the veteran occurs after January 1, 2011, the surviving spouse does not remarry, and the surviving spouse continues to occupy the real estate as his/her primary place of residence. See the Disabled Veteran’s Real Estate Tax Exemption Application (PDF) to begin the application process or for more information.

Charlottesville Housing Affordability Program (CHAP)

In an effort to promote and preserve home-ownership, the Charlottesville City Council offers grants to homeowners who may not otherwise qualify for the City’s elderly and disabled tax relief programs. These grants help offset the financial hardships faced by many homeowners due to rising real estate assessments. The application period to apply for this program runs from July 1 - September 1.

Qualifications:

• You must be the legal owner AND occupant of the residence as of January 1, 2020 through September 1, 2020;
• You may not own any other real estate;
• You must be in good standing on a payment plan with the Treasurer’s Office if you owe delinquent taxes;
• The current year 2020 assessed value on your home must be below $375,000;
• Your 2019 IRS Federal Adjusted Gross Income must be less than $55,000;
• You must not be currently enrolled in the Real Estate Relief Program for the Elderly and Disabled. 

Apply for CHAP:

The Charlottesville Housing Affordability Program has closed for 2020. 

Before you begin the application online be sure to have all necessary documentation ready to be uploaded electronically.

Documentation needed:

• Your 2019 IRS Federal Tax Return or other income documentation if you did not file a return for 2019.
• Your spouses 2019 IRS Federal Tax return if you’re married and also filed separately for 2019. 
• Income documentation for any other owners of the property for which you are seeking relief who also reside at the property