Senate approves sales tax exemption for 100 disabled veterans’ widows

Oklahoma’s 100% disabled veterans currently receive a sales tax exemption for the sale of tangible personal property or services. Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Ardmore, authored Senate Bill 310 to extend that exemption to those veterans’ widows as well as veterans who sustain their disability while under the care of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) and widows whose spouses are killed in the line of duty.

“We’ve been so good in Oklahoma about doing all we can to financially help our disabled veterans given how much they have sacrificed for our country,” said Simpson. “Often times, these veterans are the main income earners in their families and their spouses struggle financially after their death. This will give these widows some financial assistance to ease that burden.”

SB 310 increases the cap on qualifying purchases from $1,000 to $5,000 per year for the surviving spouse of a veteran, provided the spouse has not remarried.
The bill also broadens eligibility for the sales tax exemption to include veterans who sustain their disability from medical treatment or vocational rehabilitation services provided by the USDVA or its service providers prior to death.

“Sadly, we’ve had some situations where veterans have sustained injuries while under the care of USDVA that have left them completely disabled,” said Simpson. “Currently, because their disability wasn’t sustained while serving, they don’t qualify to receive the sales tax exemption so this bill will add them.”

The bill also adds widows currently receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) who previously did not qualify for the sales tax exemption because their spouse was killed in action or died from a service-related injury or disease.

SB 310 now moves to the House for further consideration.