Code of Virginia — Title 58.1 (Taxation), Chapter 32 (Real Property Tax)
§ 58.1-3215. Effective date; change in circumstances.
A. An exemption or deferral enacted pursuant to § 58.1-3210 or 58.1-3211.1 may be granted for any year following the date that the qualifying individual occupying such dwelling and owning title or partial title thereto reaches the age of 65 years or for any year following the date the disability occurred. Changes in income, financial worth, ownership of property or other factors occurring during the taxable year for which an affidavit is filed and having the effect of exceeding or violating the limitations and conditions provided by county, city or town ordinance shall nullify any exemption or deferral for the remainder of the current taxable year and the taxable year immediately following. However, any locality may by ordinance provide (i) a prorated exemption or deferral for the portion of the taxable year during which the taxpayer qualified for such exemption or deferral or (ii) a prorated exemption or deferral for the portion of the taxable year during which the taxpayer would have qualified for such exemption or deferral but had not yet filed an application. Any prorated exemption or deferral under clause (ii) shall apply only for the taxable year in which the taxpayer qualified for such exemption or deferral and not any prior year.

B. An ordinance enacted pursuant to this article may provide that a change in ownership to a spouse or a nonqualifying individual, when such change resulted solely from the death of the qualifying individual, or a sale of such property shall result in a prorated exemption or deferral for the then current taxable year. The proceeds of the sale which would result in the prorated exemption or deferral shall not be included in the computation of net worth or income as provided in subsection A. Such prorated portion shall be determined by multiplying the amount of the exemption or deferral by a fraction wherein the number of complete months of the year such property was properly eligible for such exemption or deferral is the numerator and the number 12 is the denominator.

C. An ordinance enacted pursuant to this article may provide that an individual who does not qualify for the exemption or deferral under this article based upon the previous year's income limitations and financial worth limitations, may nonetheless qualify for the current year by filing an affidavit that clearly shows a substantial change of circumstances, that was not volitional on the part of the individual to become eligible for the exemption or deferral, and will result in income and financial worth levels that are within the limitations of the ordinance. The ordinance may impose additional conditions and require other information under this subsection. The locality may prorate the exemption or deferral from the date the affidavit is submitted or any other date.

Any exemption or deferral under this subsection must be conditioned upon the individual filing another affidavit after the end of the year in which the exemption or deferral was granted, within a period of time specified by the locality, showing that the actual income and financial worth levels were within the limitations set by the ordinance. If the actual income and financial worth levels exceeded the limitations any exemption or deferral shall be nullified for the current taxable year and the taxable year immediately following.

Code 1950, § 58-760.1; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 169; 1972, cc. 315, 616; 1973, c. 496; 1974, c. 427; 1976, c. 543; 1977, cc. 48, 453, 456; 1978, cc. 774, 776, 777, 780, 788, 790; 1979, cc. 543, 544, 545, 563; 1980, cc. 656, 666, 673; 1981, c. 434; 1982, cc. 123, 457; 1984, cc. 267, 675; 1987, cc. 525, 534; 1989, c. 40; 2007, c. 357; 2008, c. 208; 2011, cc. 438, 496; 2025, cc. 522, 536.