New Jersey Veteran Benefits 2026: Property Tax Exemptions and Military Retired Pay Tax

The state benefits New Jersey gives veterans and their surviving spouses: property tax exemptions, how the state taxes military retired pay, and other benefits, each with who qualifies, the amount, how to apply and the official source.

New Jersey fully exempts the main home of a veteran rated 100% permanently and totally disabled by the VA for service-connected disability from property tax. The exemption also covers the un-remarried surviving spouse or civil union/domestic partner. Any honorably discharged veteran with active duty service who owns property can take a $250 annual property tax deduction. U.S. military pensions and survivor's benefit payments are not taxed by New Jersey at all, and honorably discharged veterans also get a $6,000 income tax exemption. (sources)

Official sources Checked against official sources on November 4, 2026. This page lists only benefits confirmed on an official state or federal page; counties and cities may offer more.

Property tax exemptions
Military retired pay tax
Other veteran benefits
Common questions

Property tax exemptions for veterans in New Jersey

New Jersey property tax benefits for veterans and surviving spouses (checked November 4, 2026)
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	How to apply	Source
100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption	Honorably discharged veteran with active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces whom the VA certifies as 100% permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability. Must be a legal New Jersey resident who owns and occupies the home as the main residence. Also covers the un-remarried surviving spouse or civil union/domestic partner of such a veteran, or of a servicemember who died on active duty, provided the deceased was a NJ resident at death. No income limit. Wartime service is no longer required: a constitutional amendment effective December 4, 2020 (P.L.2019, c.413) removed it, per Form D.V.S.S.E. (rev. March 2025).	Full exemption from property tax on the dwelling house used as the principal residence. Partial or prorated exemption is allowed for the year eligibility begins (Form D.V.S.S.E.).	File Form D.V.S.S.E. with documentary proofs (DD-214, deed, VA disability certificate and others) with the local municipal tax assessor. The form can be filed with the municipal tax assessor at any time during the tax year (Form D.V.S.S.E., https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/pdf/other_forms/lpt/dvsse.pdf). If denied, appeal to the County Board of Taxation on Form A-1 by April 1, or by January 15 in Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties.	NJ Division of Taxation
$250 Veterans Property Tax Deduction	Honorably discharged veteran with active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces who is a legal NJ resident and owns the property, all as of October 1 of the pretax year. Reservists and National Guard members qualify only if called to active duty; active duty for training does not count. Also covers the un-remarried surviving spouse or civil union/domestic partner of a qualifying veteran or of a servicemember who died on active duty. No income limit.	$250 per year deducted from the property tax bill	File Form V.S.S. with documentary proofs (DD-214, deed and others) with the local assessor or tax collector. If denied, appeal to the County Board of Taxation on Form A-1 by April 1, or by January 15 in Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties.	NJ Division of Taxation
Active Military Service Property Tax Deferment	Servicemember deployed or mobilized for active service in time of war. Covers property owned solely by the servicemember or jointly with a spouse/civil union partner, but not property co-owned with anyone else or held through a corporation, LLC or partnership.	Deferral, not a reduction: property taxes are deferred during the deployment and are due within 90 days after it ends. Interest on late deferral payments runs back to the original due date. Taxes delinquent before deployment, and sewer, water and other municipal charges, cannot be deferred.	File Form AMSPTD, with the deployment or mobilization orders (and a DD-214 if applicable), with the municipal tax collector. Someone authorized can file on the servicemember's behalf.	NJ Division of Taxation

Is military retired pay taxed in New Jersey?

New Jersey state income tax on military retired pay (checked November 4, 2026)
Treatment	Amount or limit	Source
Fully exempt. New Jersey does not tax U.S. military pensions or survivor's benefit payments (generally paid by DFAS), and they are not reported on the NJ return. Federal civil service pensions or annuities from OPM remain taxable even if based on military service credit. Separately, honorably discharged veterans can claim a $6,000 exemption on the NJ income tax return.	100% of U.S. military retired pay and survivor's benefits excluded, with no age or income limit. Plus a $6,000 veteran exemption (another $6,000 for a veteran spouse on a joint return), which requires one-time proof of honorable discharge (https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/military/vetexemption.shtml).	nj.gov

For the dollars this treatment adds to (or saves on) a retiree’s state tax in 2026, see the military retirement tax by state study; for the pension itself, the military retirement pay calculator.

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Other New Jersey veteran benefits

Vehicles and license plates

New Jersey: vehicles and license plates for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
Disabled Veteran / Purple Heart parking placard	Disabled veteran with a VA Award of Disability letter and DD-214/215, or a Purple Heart recipient, who owns the vehicle and is its driver or a passenger	Exemption from municipal parking meter fees for up to 24 hours (N.J.S.A. 39:4-207.10). The placard carries the same privileges as the special license plates and is renewed every 3 years.	nj.gov
Sales tax exemption on VA/NJDVA-funded vehicle purchases	Disabled veteran who receives funds or a loan from the U.S. VA or the NJ Department of Veterans Affairs to buy a car	The amount paid with VA/NJDVA funds is exempt from NJ Sales Tax. Any amount paid out of pocket is taxable.	nj.gov

Hunting, fishing and other licenses

New Jersey: hunting, fishing and other licenses for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
Free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans	NJ resident veteran, honorably discharged, whom the U.S. VA has declared to have a service-connected disability	Hunting and fishing licenses issued free each year by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife	nj.gov

Education

New Jersey: education for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
POW-MIA Tuition Benefit Program	Child of a servicemember officially declared a POW or MIA after January 1, 1960, where the parent was a NJ resident on entering service or has an official NJ residence	Free undergraduate college tuition	nj.gov
War Orphan Tuition Assistance	Resident child of a servicemember who died in the military, died of service-connected disabilities, or is officially listed as MIA. The veteran must have been a NJ resident.	$500 per year for four years of college or equivalent training	nj.gov
Veterans Tuition Credit Program	Veteran eligible for federally funded education programs who served on active duty between Dec. 31, 1960 and May 7, 1975, and who was a NJ resident at induction or for at least one year before applying	Full-time: $400 per year ($200 per semester). Part-time: $100 per semester.	nj.gov

Employment

New Jersey: employment for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
Civil Service Veterans and Disabled Veterans Preference	Veterans preference: honorable discharge from active duty that includes service during a qualifying war era (P.L. 2007, c.115). Disabled veterans preference: the same, plus at least a 10% VA disability compensation rating. Surviving spouses (until remarriage) and certain spouses and parents also qualify.	Absolute preference. Veterans who pass are placed at the top of open competitive civil service lists ahead of non-veterans regardless of score, and disabled veterans are placed above all other veterans and non-veterans.	nj.gov

State veterans homes

New Jersey: state veterans homes for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
NJ Veterans Memorial Homes (state long-term care nursing homes)	Veterans honorably discharged from U.S. war or peacetime service, their spouses, and Gold Star parents (spouses and parents of servicemembers killed in action in wartime). Preference goes to applicants who were NJ residents for at least 2 years immediately before applying.	Long-term and skilled nursing care in three state-operated homes: Paramus (336 residents), Menlo Park in Edison (312 beds) and Vineland (300 residents). Residents pay according to ability, based on income.	nj.gov

Other benefits

New Jersey: other benefits for veterans
Benefit	Who qualifies	Amount	Source
$6,000 Income Tax Exemption for Veterans	Veteran honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces on or before the last day of the tax year. A veteran spouse/civil union partner filing jointly can claim another $6,000. The exemption does not pass to a surviving spouse, except in the year the veteran spouse died.	$6,000 exemption per qualifying veteran on resident and nonresident NJ returns	nj.gov
New Jersey Catastrophic Entitlement	NJ resident veteran, or surviving spouse, with a permanent service-connected VA rating from wartime service for a listed catastrophic disability (e.g., loss of sight, double amputation, paraplegia, quadriplegia)	$150 per month	nj.gov

Common questions

Does New Jersey have a property tax exemption for disabled veterans?

New Jersey lists 3 veteran property tax benefits. The main one: 100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption. Who qualifies: Honorably discharged veteran with active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces whom the VA certifies as 100% permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability. Must be a legal New Jersey resident who owns and occupies the home as the main residence. Also covers the un-remarried surviving spouse or civil union/domestic partner of such a veteran, or of a servicemember who died on active duty, provided the deceased was a NJ resident at death. No income limit. Wartime service is no longer required: a constitutional amendment effective December 4, 2020 (P.L.2019, c.413) removed it, per Form D.V.S.S.E. (rev. March 2025).. Amount: Full exemption from property tax on the dwelling house used as the principal residence. Partial or prorated exemption is allowed for the year eligibility begins (Form D.V.S.S.E.). (NJ Division of Taxation - 100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption).

How do I apply for the New Jersey veteran property tax exemption?

File Form D.V.S.S.E. with documentary proofs (DD-214, deed, VA disability certificate and others) with the local municipal tax assessor. The form can be filed with the municipal tax assessor at any time during the tax year (Form D.V.S.S.E., https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/pdf/other_forms/lpt/dvsse.pdf). If denied, appeal to the County Board of Taxation on Form A-1 by April 1, or by January 15 in Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties. (NJ Division of Taxation - 100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption).

Does New Jersey tax military retirement pay?

Fully exempt. New Jersey does not tax U.S. military pensions or survivor's benefit payments (generally paid by DFAS), and they are not reported on the NJ return. Federal civil service pensions or annuities from OPM remain taxable even if based on military service credit. Separately, honorably discharged veterans can claim a $6,000 exemption on the NJ income tax return. Amount or limit: 100% of U.S. military retired pay and survivor's benefits excluded, with no age or income limit. Plus a $6,000 veteran exemption (another $6,000 for a veteran spouse on a joint return), which requires one-time proof of honorable discharge (https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/military/vetexemption.shtml). (nj.gov).

What other benefits do veterans get in New Jersey?

$6,000 Income Tax Exemption for Veterans (nj.gov); Disabled Veteran / Purple Heart parking placard (nj.gov); Sales tax exemption on VA/NJDVA-funded vehicle purchases (nj.gov); POW-MIA Tuition Benefit Program (nj.gov); War Orphan Tuition Assistance (nj.gov); Veterans Tuition Credit Program (nj.gov); Free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans (nj.gov); NJ Veterans Memorial Homes (state long-term care nursing homes) (nj.gov); Civil Service Veterans and Disabled Veterans Preference (nj.gov); New Jersey Catastrophic Entitlement (nj.gov). Who qualifies and the amounts are in the tables above.

Sources

Every row above is copied from the official page linked beside it. Benefits change with new laws and local decisions, so confirm the amount and the deadline with the office that runs the program before you apply. QuantCalc is calculation software, not legal, tax or benefits advice. Last updated November 4, 2026.

New Jersey senior property tax relief → New Jersey state income tax for retirees → Veteran benefits in every state → Military retirement tax by state 2026 → Military retirement pay calculator → 2026 VA disability rates → Military retiree and VA COLA 2027 → VA loan limits 2026 →