OKLAHOMA CITY – The House passed a bill yesterday that would create a vehicle sales tax exemption for disabled veterans by a vote of 88-0.

House Bill 2476, sponsored by Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, exempts from sales tax any transfer of a motor vehicle to a person who is a resident of Oklahoma, has been honorably discharged from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or Oklahoma National Guard, and has been certified by the United State Department of Veterans Affairs to have a permanent, 100-percent disability sustained through military action or resulting from disease contracted while in active service.

“Our veterans have sacrificed for our nation, and in many cases those sacrifices are felt long after their time in the military is over,” said Roberts. “We have a duty to honor them whenever we get the chance, and this tax exemption is a small token of our gratitude for their service and their sacrifice.”

The exemption cannot be claimed by an individual for more than one vehicle in a consecutive three-year period, unless the vehicle is a replacement for a vehicle that was destroyed and declared by the insurer to be a total loss claim. This exemption is not to be counted against the sales tax exemption cap. The measure also directs the Oklahoma Tax Commission to issue a refund to the buyer of sales tax collected by a dealer from any person who qualifies for this exemption. If the vehicle was purchased with a loan, the refund shall be issued to the lienholder, who shall deduct the refund amount from the balance due on the loan.

HB 2476 is now eligible to be heard by the Senate.