RICHMOND, Va. — Attorney General Jason Miyares has taken a legal step in support of disabled veterans in Virginia by filing an amicus brief in the case of Sopko v. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. This action comes after Fairfax County declined to provide property tax exemptions that are guaranteed under the Virginia Constitution.
In 2010, a constitutional amendment was passed by Virginians, granting real property tax exemptions to veterans with a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability. The General Assembly subsequently enacted legislation ensuring that qualifying veterans could receive refunds on property taxes retroactive to January 1, 2011.
John P. Sopko, a veteran with a documented disability rating since 1972, has been denied these benefits by Fairfax County. The amicus brief contends that the county’s refusal to issue refunds based on unrelated general tax statutes contradicts the explicit language of Virginia’s Constitution and related laws. Additionally, it dismisses the notion that failed legislative attempts should influence judicial decisions.
The case is scheduled for a hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court on June 30, 2025.
Read the filing here.
