Vermont · Property tax exemptions · Updated Oct 2026
Vermont property tax exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability and surviving-spouse breaks in Vermont: what each one is worth, who qualifies, how to apply and the deadline, in plain English.
See the ruleshomestead exemption
None statewidesenior break
$10,000disabled veterans
See belowhomestead deadline
1.59%median tax rate
Exemptions by group
Every break for one group on one page, with step-by-step instructions and the tools set for that group.
The Vermont Department of Taxes handles the Homestead Declaration and the Property Tax Credit (you file with the state, usually with your income tax return). Your town listers or assessor value the home and apply the veterans exemption after the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs confirms you qualify.
Not a fixed dollar amount. Filing puts your home in the 'homestead' class, so you pay the homestead education property tax rate instead of the nonhomestead rate. It is also required for the Property Tax Credit.
Who qualifies
You own and live in the home as your domicile (main home) on April 1, 2026. You can still claim it if it is rented out for no more than 182 days of the year. Second homes, camps and rentals are nonhomestead.
How to apply
File Form HS-122, Section A, with the Vermont Department of Taxes, online through myVTax or on paper, even if you do not have to file an income tax return. Have the school district code (middle three digits of the SPAN on your tax bill) and your SPAN number.
The April income tax due date (April 15, 2026). Filing an income tax extension does not extend it. Late filing until October 15 is allowed but your town may charge a penalty of up to 3% or 8%; after October 15 the home is taxed as nonhomestead.
Up to $5,600 off the state education property tax and up to $2,400 off the municipal property tax on your home. The amount depends on your household income and your housesite tax; the Department of Taxes has a calculator.
Who qualifies
You declared the home as your homestead, lived in Vermont all of 2025, own and live in the home on April 1, 2026, and were not claimed as a dependent for 2025.
Income limit
2025 household income of $115,400 or less (household income counts taxable and nontaxable income of everyone in the household)
How to apply
File Form HS-122 (Section B) and Schedule HI-144 (Household Income) with the Department of Taxes, online in myVTax or with your Vermont income tax return. Have your 2025/2026 tax bill (housesite value and housesite taxes) and income records for all household members.
April 15, 2026. If you filed the Homestead Declaration by October 15, you may file the credit claim as late as March 15 of the next year, but $150 is taken off the credit, and after October 15 the credit is paid to you instead of your town.
At least $10,000 off the appraised value of your home. Your town may vote to raise it to as much as $40,000. Example: on a $200,000 home in a town with a $20,000 exemption, you are taxed on $180,000.
Who qualifies
You own and live in the home and you (or your spouse, widow(er) or child) receive VA disability compensation for at least a 50% rating, the VA non-service-connected (improved) pension, permanent military medical retirement pay, or death/DIC compensation. The unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who had the exemption keeps it. Only one exemption per property; rented or business parts are not exempt.
How to apply
Each year before May 1, send the Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Property Tax Exemption form (from the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs, veterans.vermont.gov) and your current VA Summary of Benefits letter to the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs, 118 State St., Montpelier, VT 05602.
Deadline
Before May 1 of the tax year.
Renewal
Every year before May 1, unless the VA rates you permanently and totally disabled; then you apply only in the first year, and again if you move to a new home.
Even if you do not need to file an income tax return, you must file a Homestead Declaration every year, or your home is taxed at the nonhomestead rate.
Vermont has no statewide senior or age-based exemption; help for older homeowners comes through the income-based Property Tax Credit.
The veterans exemption amount varies by town, from the $10,000 state minimum up to $40,000 if voters approve.
Savings estimate for Vermont
Roughly what an exemption could save you a year: the value it takes off, times your tax rate.
Eligibility finder for Vermont
Answer a few questions to see which property tax breaks may fit you. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Document checklist for Vermont
Pick the breaks you plan to apply for. You get a checklist of forms, documents, steps and deadlines to print or keep on your phone.
Questions about property tax exemptions in Vermont
Is there a homestead exemption in Vermont?
Yes: the Homestead Declaration (homestead education tax rate). Not a fixed dollar amount. Filing puts your home in the 'homestead' class, so you pay the homestead education property tax rate instead of the nonhomestead rate. It is also required for the Property Tax Credit. Who qualifies: You own and live in the home as your domicile (main home) on April 1, 2026. You can still claim it if it is rented out for no more than 182 days of the year. Second homes, camps and rentals are nonhomestead.
When is the deadline to apply for the homestead exemption in Vermont?
The April income tax due date (April 15, 2026). Filing an income tax extension does not extend it. Late filing until October 15 is allowed but your town may charge a penalty of up to 3% or 8%; after October 15 the home is taxed as nonhomestead.
Do I have to reapply for the homestead exemption every year in Vermont?
Every year.
Do disabled veterans get a property tax exemption in Vermont?
Veterans Property Tax Exemption: At least $10,000 off the appraised value of your home. Your town may vote to raise it to as much as $40,000. Example: on a $200,000 home in a town with a $20,000 exemption, you are taxed on $180,000.
Where do I apply for property tax exemptions in Vermont?
The Vermont Department of Taxes handles the Homestead Declaration and the Property Tax Credit (you file with the state, usually with your income tax return). Your town listers or assessor value the home and apply the veterans exemption after the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs confirms you qualify.
Think your home’s assessed value is too high? An exemption and an appeal are separate: you can do both.
Median effective tax rate: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25103 (median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied homes) and B25077 (median value, owner-occupied homes). The rate is the median tax paid divided by the median home value.