Active-duty service members, veterans, disabled veterans, and surviving spouses may qualify for property tax exemptions, deductions, credits, assessment freezes, deferrals, or special filing protections. The rules vary by state, county, city, township, parish, borough, and local assessor.
This state-by-state guide explains common military and veteran property tax opportunities, including benefits for active duty, veterans, 100% disabled veterans, surviving spouses, former prisoners of war, and homeowners with VA disability ratings.
Important Military Property Tax Reminder
Most military and veteran property tax benefits are not automatic. In many states, you must apply with the county assessor, tax commissioner, appraisal district, town assessor, parish assessor, or state tax department.
Active-duty service members should also ask about Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections, commonly called SCRA protections. SCRA does not usually erase real property taxes, but it may help delay or limit certain tax collection actions, penalties, interest, foreclosure, or forced sale issues while a service member is on qualifying duty.
Veterans and disabled veterans may qualify for separate state or local exemptions. Surviving spouses may also qualify in many states, especially when the veteran was killed in the line of duty or had a qualifying service-connected disability.
Choose Your State
Select your state below to jump directly to military, active-duty, veteran, disabled veteran, and surviving spouse property tax information. Each state section also includes a button to that state’s full Appeal Tax page.
Active Duty vs. Veteran Property Tax Benefits
Active-duty military property tax relief is often different from veteran property tax relief. Active-duty service members may qualify for SCRA protections, deployment-related extensions, personal-property protections, residency protections, or state-specific deferrals. Veterans, especially disabled veterans, may qualify for exemptions, credits, deductions, refunds, or assessment reductions on a primary residence.
Active-Duty Service Members
- May qualify for SCRA protections during qualifying service.
- May receive protection from certain collection actions while deployed or on active duty.
- May qualify for state or local extensions, deferrals, or personal-property exemptions.
- Should ask whether military orders affect deadlines, penalties, interest, or tax-sale procedures.
Veterans and Disabled Veterans
- May qualify for partial or full property tax exemptions.
- Benefits often depend on VA disability rating, wartime service, residency, income, and homeownership.
- 100% permanent and total disabled veterans often receive the strongest benefits.
- Surviving spouses may qualify in many states if they meet local requirements.
Types of Property Tax Breaks Military Homeowners May Receive
- Full exemption: Some states eliminate property taxes on a qualifying disabled veteran’s primary residence.
- Partial exemption: Some states reduce taxable value by a set dollar amount or percentage.
- Property tax credit: Some states reimburse or credit part of the tax bill.
- Assessment freeze: Some states or counties freeze taxable value for qualifying seniors, disabled veterans, or long-term homeowners.
- Deferral: Some jurisdictions allow active-duty service members, seniors, disabled veterans, or surviving spouses to delay payment.
- SCRA protection: Active-duty service members may have federal protections related to tax collection, foreclosure, penalties, interest, and court actions.
- Surviving spouse benefit: Many states extend benefits to an unremarried surviving spouse, but the rules vary.
State-by-State Military and Veteran Property Tax Breaks
Alabama
Veterans: Alabama offers strong homestead relief for homeowners with permanent and total disability. Veterans may also qualify for special adapted housing-related property tax relief.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county revenue commissioner about military filing protections, SCRA issues, homestead status, and any deployment-related penalty or deadline relief.
Alaska
Veterans: Alaska may exempt a portion of assessed value for veterans with qualifying VA disability ratings. Local municipalities play an important role.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check with the local assessor about residency, primary-residence rules, SCRA protections, and whether military orders affect deadlines.
Arizona
Veterans: Arizona provides property tax relief for qualifying disabled veterans and surviving spouses, but assessed value and income limits may apply.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask about SCRA protections and whether deployment, orders, or residency status affects filing deadlines or tax collection.
Arkansas
Veterans: Arkansas may provide a full homestead property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability, along with certain surviving spouses.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the county assessor or collector about SCRA protections and any deadline relief while deployed or away on orders.
California
Veterans: California offers a Disabled Veterans’ Exemption with basic and low-income exemption levels. Veterans generally must have a 100% disability rating or be compensated at the 100% rate due to unemployability.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask about SCRA protections, personal-property rules, and whether military orders affect assessment or collection deadlines.
Colorado
Veterans: Colorado may exempt 50% of the first portion of actual value for a qualifying disabled veteran’s primary residence.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county assessor and treasurer about SCRA protections, deployment-related deadlines, and whether the home continues to qualify as a primary residence.
Connecticut
Veterans: Connecticut provides veteran property tax exemptions, and municipalities may offer additional or enhanced exemptions.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check municipal rules for military tax relief, residency status, and SCRA protections.
Delaware
Veterans: Delaware offers a Disabled Veterans School Tax Credit for eligible veterans with a 100% permanent disability rating. Counties may also offer local property tax relief.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask county officials about local relief, SCRA protections, and whether deployment affects payment deadlines.
District of Columbia
Veterans: Washington, D.C. offers a disabled veteran homestead deduction for qualifying veterans with total and permanent disability or 100% unemployability.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask about SCRA protections, residency issues, and whether military orders affect tax sale, interest, or payment enforcement.
Florida
Veterans: Florida offers several veteran exemptions, including partial exemptions for veterans with qualifying disability and a full homestead exemption for certain totally and permanently disabled veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners may need to preserve Florida homestead status while away on orders. Ask the county property appraiser about military service, residency, SCRA protections, and deployment-related relief.
Georgia
Veterans: Georgia offers a homestead exemption for qualifying disabled veterans, surviving spouses, and certain surviving children.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask county tax officials about SCRA protections, homestead status, and military-order-related filing issues.
Hawaii
Veterans: Hawaii property tax exemptions are administered by county. Some counties offer major or complete relief for totally disabled veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check county rules, especially regarding residency, owner-occupant status, SCRA protections, and military reassignment.
Idaho
Veterans: Idaho may provide a property tax reduction for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability and qualifying surviving spouses.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county assessor about primary-residence status, SCRA protections, and tax-relief programs tied to deployment or service.
Illinois
Veterans: Illinois offers several veteran homestead exemptions. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may receive a reduction in equalized assessed value.
Active duty: Active-duty members should ask county officials about homestead status, SCRA protections, military deferral issues, and whether orders affect deadlines.
Indiana
Veterans: Indiana offers disabled veteran property tax deductions that reduce assessed value.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check with the county auditor or assessor about SCRA protections, residency, deductions, and payment-deadline issues.
Iowa
Veterans: Iowa may exempt qualifying veterans with a 100% VA disability rating from property taxes on the homestead.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask about SCRA protections, military tax credits, homestead status, and filing extensions related to service.
Kansas
Veterans: Kansas offers property tax refund programs for qualifying homeowners, including disabled veterans and surviving spouses.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask county officials about SCRA protections, deployment-related relief, and eligibility for state refund programs.
Kentucky
Veterans: Kentucky offers a homestead exemption for qualifying disabled homeowners, including veterans with permanent and total service-connected disability.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the property valuation administrator about military orders, homestead status, SCRA protections, and any local filing relief.
Louisiana
Veterans: Louisiana provides homestead relief and additional exemptions for veterans with service-connected disability.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the parish assessor about SCRA protections, homestead eligibility, residency, and local tax-sale protections.
Maine
Veterans: Maine provides veteran property tax exemptions for qualifying wartime veterans, certain older veterans, and veterans with 100% disability.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask municipal assessors about military service, SCRA protections, residency, and filing deadlines.
Maryland
Veterans: Maryland may exempt the dwelling house and surrounding yard for veterans with a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability.
Active duty: Maryland also recognizes certain disabled active-duty service members for property tax exemption purposes. Active-duty homeowners should ask the State Department of Assessments and Taxation or local assessment office about eligibility, forms, and documentation.
Massachusetts
Veterans: Massachusetts offers multiple veteran exemptions based on disability, awards, service status, and surviving spouse status.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check with the local assessor about military clauses, SCRA protections, residency, and whether service affects deadlines.
Michigan
Veterans: Michigan may fully exempt a homestead owned and used by a qualifying disabled veteran or an unremarried surviving spouse.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the local assessor or treasurer about principal-residence status, SCRA protections, poverty exemptions, hardship relief, and military-order-related tax issues.
Minnesota
Veterans: Minnesota offers market value exclusion benefits for veterans with qualifying disability ratings.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask county officials about SCRA protections, homestead classification while deployed, and military service-related filing relief.
Mississippi
Veterans: Mississippi may exempt homestead property from ad valorem taxes for veterans with a 100% permanent and total VA disability rating.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county tax assessor about SCRA protections, homestead rules, and deadlines affected by deployment.
Missouri
Veterans: Missouri offers property tax credit opportunities for certain seniors, disabled veterans, renters, and surviving spouses.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the county assessor and collector about SCRA protections, tax collection timing, and whether any local military relief applies.
Montana
Veterans: Montana offers the Disabled Veteran Assistance Program for qualifying veterans with 100% disability, subject to income rules.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask about SCRA protections, residency classification, homestead-related programs, and military filing relief.
Nebraska
Veterans: Nebraska offers homestead exemptions for qualifying disabled veterans, including certain 100% service-connected disabled veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check with county officials about SCRA protections, homestead exemption rules, and filing deadlines.
Nevada
Veterans: Nevada provides exemptions for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disability ratings. Wartime veterans and surviving spouses may also qualify.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county assessor about SCRA protections, deployed-service issues, residency, and personal-property exemptions.
New Hampshire
Veterans: New Hampshire offers veteran property tax credits, including credits for qualifying totally disabled veterans. Cities and towns may offer higher local credits than the state minimum.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check town or city rules for military service credits, SCRA protections, and local filing requirements.
New Jersey
Veterans: New Jersey may provide a full property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% permanent and total VA disability rating. Veterans may also qualify for an annual property tax deduction.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the municipal tax assessor about military service, SCRA protections, and whether orders affect filing or payment deadlines.
New Mexico
Veterans: New Mexico provides veteran property tax exemptions, including relief for disabled veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the county assessor about SCRA protections, veteran exemptions, residency, and military-order-related deadline issues.
New York
Veterans: New York offers veteran property tax exemptions such as the Alternative Veterans’ Exemption, Cold War Veterans’ Exemption, and Eligible Funds Exemption. Additional rules may apply by taxing jurisdiction.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the local assessor about SCRA protections, residency, taxable status dates, and whether military service affects filing requirements.
North Carolina
Veterans: North Carolina offers a Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exclusion for qualifying veterans with a 100% permanent and total VA disability rating or certain specially adapted housing benefits.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county tax office about SCRA protections, deployment-related deadlines, and payment relief for taxes due during qualifying service.
North Dakota
Veterans: North Dakota offers property tax credit relief for veterans with service-connected disability ratings of 50% or higher.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the county director of tax equalization about SCRA protections, military residency, and local filing rules.
Ohio
Veterans: Ohio offers an enhanced homestead exemption for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county auditor or treasurer about SCRA protections, homestead status, and deployment-related tax issues.
Oklahoma
Veterans: Oklahoma may exempt qualifying veterans and surviving spouses from property taxes on a personal residence when the veteran has a 100% VA disability rating.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should check with the county assessor about SCRA protections, homestead status, and military filing relief.
Oregon
Veterans: Oregon offers an income-based property tax exemption for qualifying disabled veterans and surviving spouses.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask county officials about SCRA protections, residency, homestead-related rules, and tax collection procedures during service.
Pennsylvania
Veterans: Pennsylvania offers a need-based property tax exemption for qualifying veterans with a 100% service-connected disability connected to wartime service.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask county assessment officials about SCRA protections, military hardship issues, and local filing deadlines.
Rhode Island
Veterans: Rhode Island veteran property tax exemptions are highly local. Municipalities may offer benefits for veterans, disabled veterans, former prisoners of war, Gold Star families, and specially adapted housing.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should check city or town rules for military exemptions, SCRA protections, and filing deadlines.
South Carolina
Veterans: South Carolina may provide a full exemption on a qualifying disabled veteran’s principal residence and nearby land.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask county officials about SCRA protections, primary-residence status, deployment, and filing relief.
South Dakota
Veterans: South Dakota offers property tax relief for qualifying disabled veterans, including exemptions for permanently and totally disabled veterans and certain paraplegic veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask county officials about SCRA protections, residency, and filing rules affected by military orders.
Tennessee
Veterans: Tennessee offers property tax relief on a portion of assessed value for qualifying disabled veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county trustee or assessor about SCRA protections, property tax relief, and deadlines affected by deployment or service.
Texas
Veterans: Texas offers disability-based property tax exemptions beginning at 10% VA disability. Veterans rated 100% disabled may qualify for a full residence homestead exemption from property taxes.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the appraisal district about residence homestead status, SCRA protections, military orders, and any payment or deadline relief.
Utah
Veterans: Utah provides disabled veteran property tax exemptions based on VA disability percentage, with larger exemptions for higher disability ratings.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask county officials about SCRA protections, military residence, primary-residence rules, and filing deadlines.
Vermont
Veterans: Vermont offers veteran property tax exemptions for qualifying disabled veterans, pension recipients, and certain medically retired veterans.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the town assessor about SCRA protections, military service, homestead declaration rules, and local exemptions.
Virginia
Veterans: Virginia may fully exempt the primary residence of a veteran with a 100% service-connected disability rating.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the local commissioner of revenue or assessor about SCRA protections, military orders, residency, and local relief programs.
Washington
Veterans: Washington offers need-based property tax relief for qualifying veterans, including veterans with significant VA disability ratings.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask the county assessor about SCRA protections, income-based exemptions, residency, and deployment-related filing relief.
West Virginia
Veterans: West Virginia offers a homestead exemption for qualifying veterans, including veterans with a 100% permanent and total VA disability rating.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask the county assessor about SCRA protections, homestead qualification, and deadline relief while serving.
Wisconsin
Veterans: Wisconsin offers a veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit that may reimburse the full amount of property taxes paid on a qualifying primary residence.
Active duty: Active-duty service members should ask municipal or county officials about SCRA protections, principal-residence rules, and eligibility for credits after service.
Wyoming
Veterans: Wyoming offers a veteran property tax exemption for qualifying veterans who meet service and residency requirements. If not used on a home, the exemption may be available for motor vehicle licensing fees.
Active duty: Active-duty homeowners should ask county officials about SCRA protections, residency, veteran exemption timing, and whether military service affects tax deadlines.
How Active-Duty Military and Veterans Should Apply
- Contact the local assessor or tax office. Ask specifically about active-duty, veteran, disabled veteran, surviving spouse, and SCRA-related property tax relief.
- Gather documents. Common documents include DD-214, VA disability award letter, military orders, proof of active duty, proof of deployment, proof of ownership, proof of residency, and surviving spouse documentation.
- Ask whether the benefit is automatic or must be renewed. Many exemptions require an application, and some require annual renewal.
- Check filing deadlines. Missing a deadline can delay the benefit by a full tax year.
- Review your assessment separately. A military or veteran exemption reduces tax exposure, but it does not always fix an over-assessed property value.
Military Exemption vs. Property Tax Appeal
A military or veteran exemption is based on who owns or occupies the property. A property tax appeal challenges the value the government placed on the property.
Example: a disabled veteran may receive a partial exemption, but if the home is assessed too high, the owner may still be paying more than necessary. Appeal Tax helps homeowners review assessments, comparable sales, property records, exemption opportunities, and appeal deadlines.
FAQ: Property Tax Breaks for Active Duty and Veterans
Do active-duty military members get property tax exemptions?
Sometimes. Active-duty benefits vary by state and locality. Some benefits are direct exemptions, while others are deadline extensions, deferrals, personal-property protections, homestead protections, or SCRA-related protections.
What is SCRA property tax protection?
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act may help qualifying active-duty service members delay or limit certain legal and financial actions during service. It does not usually erase real property taxes, but it may affect collection, interest, penalties, court actions, or tax-sale issues.
Do all veterans get a property tax exemption?
No. Most states reserve the largest property tax benefits for disabled veterans, especially veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating. Some states also offer smaller benefits to wartime veterans, older veterans, surviving spouses, former prisoners of war, or veterans with specially adapted housing.
Do 100% disabled veterans pay property taxes?
It depends on the state. Some states fully exempt qualifying 100% disabled veterans from property taxes on their primary residence. Others offer a partial exemption, credit, refund, or reduction in assessed value.
Can a surviving spouse receive the veteran property tax exemption?
Often, yes. Many states extend benefits to an unremarried surviving spouse, but the spouse may need to continue living in the home and file the required application.
Can I get a military or veteran exemption and still appeal my assessment?
Yes. An exemption and an appeal solve different problems. The exemption reduces taxable value or taxes due based on eligibility. An appeal challenges whether the property was overvalued.
Where do I apply for a military or veteran property tax exemption?
Most homeowners apply through the county assessor, local tax office, appraisal district, town assessor, parish assessor, or state tax department. Requirements vary by state and locality.