Disabled veteran property tax exemptions

Property tax

Property taxes are part of your monthly mortgage payment, so a veteran property tax exemption can make a real difference in what you can afford. Every state handles it differently. Here's a quick comparison for the six states where FLO Mortgage is licensed.

Amounts and rules change. Confirm details with your local tax office before relying on them.

Florida: how veteran exemptions stack with homestead

Florida lets a veteran combine several property tax breaks on the same home. Four statutes do the work, and the order your county property appraiser applies them changes the final bill.

• Homestead exemption (Fla. Stat. 196.031). If you own the home and make it your permanent residence on January 1, the first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all property taxes, school taxes included. A second exemption of up to $25,000 applies to assessed value above $50,000 for every tax except school district taxes. The statute adjusts that second amount each January 1 for inflation.
• $5,000 disabled veteran exemption (Fla. Stat. 196.24). A Florida resident discharged under honorable conditions with a disability of 10 percent or more, from misfortune or from wartime service as state law defines it, gets $5,000 of property value exempt. An unremarried surviving spouse can claim it too.
• Combat-related disability discount (Fla. Stat. 196.082). If you are 65 or older, honorably discharged and permanently disabled, partly or totally, from a combat-related disability, you get a discount on the tax on your homestead equal to your VA disability percentage. Apply with your property appraiser by March 1 with your VA letter showing the percentage and the combat-related evidence, a copy of your discharge and proof of your age as of January 1.
• Total exemption (Fla. Stat. 196.081). If you were honorably discharged with a service-connected total and permanent disability and are a permanent Florida resident on January 1, your homestead is exempt from property tax. The exemption carries over to your surviving spouse until they remarry or sell the home.

The order the appraiser uses

Florida law has the appraiser take the two homestead exemptions first, then apply your other homestead exemptions in whatever order produces the lowest taxable value (Fla. Stat. 196.031(8)). The combat-related discount comes last: the appraiser subtracts every other exemption, then takes your disability percentage off the value that remains (Fla. Stat. 196.082(6)). Picture a 67-year-old veteran with a 60 percent combat-related rating. The appraiser applies the homestead exemptions and the $5,000 exemption, then cuts 60 percent off the taxable value left over. When the total exemption under 196.081 applies, the home is fully exempt and the other exemptions have nothing left to reduce.

You apply for each exemption with your county property appraiser. Florida looks at your status on January 1 of the tax year, so if you buy partway through a year, plan your first escrow estimate around the current tax bill. Ask us to show your payment with and without the exemptions.

Sources: Florida Statutes (2026) on flsenate.gov: 196.031, 196.081, 196.24, 196.082.

State guides

Each of our state pages covers local exemptions, military communities and buying tips in more detail: Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas.

More VA loan guides

• VA home loans overview
• VA loan questions, answered
• VA loan tools and calculators
• VA home buying roadmap
• VA loans for first-time buyers
• VA loans for active duty
• VA loans for Guard and Reserve
• VA appraisals and property requirements
• VA closing costs and seller concessions
• VA occupancy rules
• VA entitlement and second VA loans
• Assumable VA loans
• VA condos and property types
• VA manual underwriting
• VA streamline refinance (IRRRL)
• VA cash-out refinance
• VA funding fee exemption
• VA loans for surviving spouses
• VA residual income explained
• VA loans after bankruptcy or foreclosure

VA loans by state: Florida · Georgia · Michigan · North Carolina · Tennessee · Texas

This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, underwriting guidelines, property eligibility and program availability. Lender requirements may be stricter than the program guidelines described here. Not all applicants will qualify. Figures reflect 2026 VA guidelines and may change without notice. FLO Mortgage is licensed in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Company NMLS #1835856. Equal Housing Opportunity. FLO Mortgage is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Licensing & Disclosures.