Rep. Pittman files bill in North Carolina House to expand disabled veteran tax exclusion

A new bill filed by State Rep. Dante Pittman seeks to broaden the property tax benefits for qualifying disabled veterans and their surviving spouses in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 683 on April 1 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Expand Disabled Veteran Prop. Tax Exclusion.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill aims to expand the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion in North Carolina by excluding the entire appraised value of a primary residence from taxation for qualifying owners. Qualifying owners include disabled veterans, defined as those who have an honorable or under honorable conditions discharge and meet specific disability criteria, or the surviving spouse of such veterans who have not remarried. The bill outlines that counties will be reimbursed for the resulting revenue loss through a “hold harmless amount,” calculated by multiplying the appraised value of excluded properties by the local tax rate. Counties must notify the Secretary of Revenue annually to receive reimbursements, which will be distributed by the end of each year. The Secretary of Revenue will fund these reimbursements through specific tax collections and manage the administrative costs. This act takes effect for taxes levied on or after July 1, 2026.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Sarah Crawford proposed the most bills (16) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Pittman graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018 with a BA.

Pittman, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 24th House district, replacing previous state representative Ken Fontenot.