As the state’s biggest advocate for veterans, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) is always working to improve the life of veterans by providing programs like the Real Estate Tax Exemption. This program provides real estate tax exemption for veterans meeting certain criteria related to their service.
Mandatory eligibility criteria for disabled veterans and their surviving spouses include: - Resident of the Commonwealth
- Honorable or Under Honorable Conditions discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States
- Service during a period of war as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (operation or service-specific expeditionary medals can also be used to establish wartime service)
- Real estate occupied as principal dwelling
- Real estate owned solely by the veteran or jointly with spouse or as an estate by the entirety
- 100 percent permanent service-connected disability, total disability individual unemployability, or service-connected blindness, paraplegia, or loss of two or more limbs as rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Applicants must also show financial need. Applicants with an annual income of $108,046 or less are given a presumption of need for the exemption. Applicants whose gross annual income exceeds $108,046 will be considered to have a financial need for the exemption when their allowable monthly expenses exceed monthly household income. The applicant’s monthly household expenses must be verified with supporting documentation and will be calculated to include a cost-of-living allowance.
If you have any questions, contact the DMVA at Ra-retx@pa.gov (Please do not send completed applications or personally identifiable information over e-mail).