If you’ve been following my articles on the different military branches, I appreciate you sticking with me. Thanks to the feedback I’ve received, I now have proof that more than just my family is reading these! You may see more multi-part series in the future—sometimes a single article just isn’t enough to cover a topic properly.
Now, with tax day (April 15) fast approaching, let’s tackle a question we hear a lot this time of year: Are my VA benefits taxable?
Since this topic strays outside my area of expertise, here comes the obligatory disclaimer:
Lake County Veterans Services is here to help Veterans and their families, but we are not tax professionals. We can’t provide tax advice. If you have tax-related questions, we recommend consulting a qualified tax professional or checking IRS guidelines.
That said, here’s the general answer: VA disability benefits are not taxable.
According to the IRS website, disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should not be included in your gross income. Here are a few examples of tax-free VA benefits:
- Disability compensation and pension payments (for you or your family)
- Grants for home modifications (such as wheelchair-accessible features)
- Grants for specially adapted vehicles (for loss of sight or limb use)
- Dependent-care assistance benefits
For more details, check out the IRS Veterans Tax Information and Services page. If you need further clarification, a tax professional or the IRS itself (800-829-1040) is your best bet. Unfortunately, we cannot recommend specific tax professionals.
If you need proof of your VA disability compensation or pension for tax purposes, the VA Summary of Benefits or Tax Abatement letters are usually mailed in early May. If yours hasn’t arrived, you can request a copy by calling the VA at 800-827-1000.
And no, your CVSO (that’s me) cannot generate this document for you—trust me, if I could, I would, just to avoid having to say, “Sorry, I can’t.”
Lately, there has been a lot of speculation about changes in the federal government, particularly within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I understand the concern—no one wants to lose benefits they’ve earned. However, much of what’s circulating right now is unsupported information and rumor.
At this time, I am not aware of any significant negative impacts on Veterans benefits. I encourage you to fact check any information you receive at news.va.gov or call VA at 800-827-1000. As always, I will share any confirmed updates as soon as I receive them.
Brad Anderson and Melissa Crandall are the Lake County Veterans Service Officers and can be reached at 218.834.8326 or cvso@co.lake.mn.us
Karen Christianson is the Cook County Veterans Service Officer and can be reached at 218.387.3639, or karen.christianson@co.cook.mn.us
