Honorable delegates,
On behalf of the nearly 8,700 currently serving Soldiers and Airmen of the Virginia National Guard, I ask that you support House Bill No. 233. This bill increases the income tax subtraction for members of the Virginia National Guard. Currently, the income tax subtraction is set at $3,000 and is capped at the Federal pay grade of O-3. This bill increases the amount subtracted to $5,000 and moves the cap to Federal pay grade of O-6. This increase accounts for the systemic inflation for the past 30 years since the initial benefit was passed into law.
Furthermore, this benefit provides the Virginia National Guard with a unique incentive to recruit and retain the courageous Soldiers and Airmen that serve their communities. While the nation continues to deploy the “Commonwealth’s Guardians” overseas—with numbers not seen since World War II—the Commonwealth has tapped the Guard in support of extreme weather events, continued support to the pandemic response and support to law enforcement. Your Virginia National Guard has never been more utilized.
As the storms of last week reminded us, Virginians rely on our ability to recruit and retain the best and brightest Virginians to meet the current and future needs of our nation and our communities. Passage of this bill provides our leaders with another tool to help do just that.
Thank you for your consideration. If I can answer any further questions, please contact me at president@vnga.us.
Honorable delegates, On behalf of the nearly 8,700 currently serving Soldiers and Airmen of the Virginia National Guard, I ask that you support House Bill No. 233. This bill increases the income tax subtraction for members of the Virginia National Guard. Currently, the income tax subtraction is set at $3,000 and is capped at the Federal pay grade of O-3. This bill increases the amount subtracted to $5,000 and moves the cap to Federal pay grade of O-6. This increase accounts for the systemic inflation for the past 30 years since the initial benefit was passed into law. Furthermore, this benefit provides the Virginia National Guard with a unique incentive to recruit and retain the courageous Soldiers and Airmen that serve their communities. While the nation continues to deploy the “Commonwealth’s Guardians” overseas—with numbers not seen since World War II—the Commonwealth has tapped the Guard in support of extreme weather events, continued support to the pandemic response and support to law enforcement. Your Virginia National Guard has never been more utilized. As the storms of last week reminded us, Virginians rely on our ability to recruit and retain the best and brightest Virginians to meet the current and future needs of our nation and our communities. Passage of this bill provides our leaders with another tool to help do just that. Thank you for your consideration. If I can answer any further questions, please contact me at president@vnga.us.