Property tax exemptions for veterans

Ratings, full exemptions, surviving spouses and what to bring.

Veterans with a service-connected disability can get some of the biggest property tax breaks there are. In many states a veteran rated 100% disabled by the VA pays no property tax on the home at all, and lower ratings often bring a partial exemption. Surviving spouses can often keep the break. This guide sums up the rules in our 51 state guides.

Full exemptions

In 19 of our state guides, at least one veteran's break can fully exempt the home, at least at the highest rating: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia. Most require a 100% rating, or a total rating based on individual unemployability, and the home must be your homestead.

What the rating means for you

The VA disability rating is the key number. States set the lowest rating that qualifies:

In some states the amount grows with your rating. Examples:

  • Texas: Your whole home is exempt from property tax (100% of the value).
  • Florida: Your homestead is fully exempt from property tax (100% of the value).
  • Louisiana: On top of the $7,500 homestead exemption: 50%-69% VA rating, the next $2,500 of assessed value is exempt (total $10,000 assessed, about $100,000 market value); 70%-99%, the next $4,500 (total $12,000, about $120,000 market value); 100% or total disability based on unemployability, the home is fully exempt from parish taxes.
  • Nevada: 2026-27 fiscal year: 60-79% permanent service-connected disability, $18,200 of assessed value; 80-99%, $27,300; 100%, $36,400.

Individual unemployability counts in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin: the rule mentions veterans paid at the 100% rate because they cannot work.

Dollar amounts in our guides include Alaska ($150,000), Arizona ($4,873), California ($180,671), Colorado ($100,000), District of Columbia ($445,000) and Florida ($5,000). Some are market value and some assessed value, so compare the rules, not just the numbers.

Veterans without a disability rating

A few states give a smaller exemption to veterans with wartime or other qualifying service, rated or not: Connecticut (Veterans' Exemption (wartime veterans) and Additional Veterans' Exemption): $1,000 off your property's assessed value (basic), plus an income-based extra amount: $2,000 more if your income is under the limit, or $500 more if it is over. Illinois (Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption): $5,000 off the EAV of your home for the tax year you return from active duty in an armed conflict and the following year. Iowa (Military Service Tax Exemption): $4,000 of taxable value is exempt (since assessment year 2023). Maine (Veteran Exemption): Up to $6,000 off the just value of your property, adjusted by your town's certified ratio.

Surviving spouses

In 35 of our state guides, a veteran's break mentions surviving spouses or widows and widowers. The usual conditions are that you have not remarried and that you keep living in the home; some states also cover the spouse of a service member who died on active duty. Separate breaks for surviving spouses of first responders exist in some states. Each state page has the rule.

What to bring

Expect to show proof of your rating and of the home. States whose instructions ask for a VA letter showing your rating or compensation include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia and Florida. Some also ask for your discharge papers (DD-214): Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa and Maine. You can get a benefit summary letter from the VA online or by phone. The document checklist on each state page lists what that state asks for.

In our research, Kentucky, Maine, Washington and Wyoming have no statewide break tied to a VA disability rating, but other breaks may help.

Step by step

  1. Open your state’s page and read the cards marked Disabled veterans and Veterans.
  2. Enter your rating in the eligibility finder to see what may fit.
  3. Get your VA rating letter and the state form, and file with the local office by the deadline. If your rating changes, tell the office: a higher rating can mean a larger exemption.
  4. Check your next tax bill for the exemption.

Compare every state in the disabled veteran exemptions by state table.

See which breaks fit you in a minute.

Eligibility finder