In Connecticut, the disabled veteran property tax exemption is claimed at your town assessor's office, not through the VA. It is a state benefit created under Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81, and it runs on two separate tracks: a graduated exemption that opens at a service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent, and a newer mandatory exemption that fully exempts from property tax the dwelling a veteran rated 100 percent permanent and total owns and lives in as a primary residence.

Which track you qualify under changes what the exemption is worth, and so does whether you own the home you live in. Under Section 12-81(20) the amount depends on the veteran's age, rating, and income level; under Section 12-81(83) the primary-residence dwelling is exempt in full, or one motor vehicle if the veteran owns no dwelling. Veterans generally submit proof of qualifying military service by September 30 and proof of the 100 percent permanent and total rating by January 1.

In This Guide

Do You Qualify for the Connecticut Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption?

Start with the rating, because in Connecticut the rating decides which of two different benefits you are actually asking for.

The lower door opens early. A Connecticut resident holding a service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is entitled to a property-tax exemption under Section 12-81(20), and the dollar amount of that exemption depends on the veteran's age, rating, and income level. That entitlement holds regardless of whether the rating is a permanent one.

The higher door is newer and far more valuable. Effective for assessment years beginning on or after October 1, 2024, Section 12-81(83) is a mandatory exemption that fully exempts from property tax the dwelling a Connecticut resident owns and lives in as a primary residence when the veteran has a 100 percent service-connected permanent and total disability rating as determined by the VA. If the veteran does not own a dwelling, the exemption attaches instead to one motor vehicle the veteran owns and keeps in Connecticut.

One thing is worth separating out from the start. This is the exemption tied to a service-connected disability rating, not Connecticut's separate age-and-income relief for homeowners who are 65 or older or totally disabled. If you are a senior without a VA rating, our guide to senior property tax relief in Connecticut covers that track instead.

How Much Is the Connecticut Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption Worth?

The two tracks answer this question very differently.

The Full Exemption for a 100 Percent Permanent and Total Rating

Under Section 12-81(83), the answer for a veteran rated 100 percent permanent and total is the whole thing. The statute fully exempts from property tax the dwelling, or the veteran's fractional share of it, that the veteran owns and lives in as a primary residence.

The Graduated Exemption for a Rating of at Least 10 Percent

Under Section 12-81(20), the exemption is an amount that depends on the veteran's age, rating, and income level, and Connecticut adds an income-based additional exemption on top of it under Section 12-81g. For a veteran rated 100 percent, that add-on has a published floor.

Income situation Minimum additional exemption
Income of $18,000 or less (unmarried veteran) At least $10,500
Income of $21,000 or less (married veteran) At least $10,500
Income at or above the applicable threshold At least $5,250

Read those as floors, not ceilings. A veteran rated 100 percent is entitled to a Section 12-81g additional exemption of at least $10,500 if income is $18,000 or less ($21,000 or less if married), and at least $5,250 at or above that threshold. Veterans file with their town assessor, so that is the office to ask what figure was applied to your Connecticut assessment. The Connecticut General Assembly's Office of Legislative Research sets out the exemption and these amounts in full.

What Happens to a Surviving Spouse?

The 100 percent permanent and total exemption does not end with the veteran.

Under Section 12-81(83), if the veteran dies, the qualifying property of the surviving spouse (while that spouse remains unmarried) or of the veteran's child (while still a minor) is exempt to the same extent the veteran was, or would have been entitled to be, at the time of death.

One limit carries the weight: the carryover holds only while the surviving spouse remains unmarried. Remarriage ends it. If you are a surviving spouse in a Connecticut town and your late husband or wife held a 100 percent permanent and total rating, the exemption is worth raising with the assessor even if it was never claimed while the veteran was alive.

How to File With Your Town Assessor

The claim runs through your town assessor, and it takes two proofs that are not due on the same date.

1
Step 1

Locate your town assessor

The claim is filed with the assessor for the Connecticut town where your property is. If you are not sure who that is, your municipality's Municipal Veterans Representative is an initial point of contact for veterans seeking assistance.

2
Step 2

File proof of qualifying military service by September 30

Veterans generally submit proof of qualifying military service to the assessor by September 30. This is a separate filing from the proof of your disability rating, which carries its own date.

3
Step 3

File proof of your rating by January 1

For the full primary-residence exemption, proof of the 100 percent service-connected permanent and total disability rating is generally due by January 1. Bring the VA decision letter that states the rating and its permanent and total status.

4
Step 4

Ask about the income-based add-on

If you are pursuing the Section 12-81(20) track, ask the assessor what income documentation the Section 12-81g additional exemption requires, since the amount turns on your age, rating, and income.

If any of that is unclear, you do not have to work it out alone. The Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs (CT DVA) Office of Advocacy and Assistance staffs accredited Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) who represent veterans on U.S. VA claims and compensation, and the department runs district offices plus a Veteran Services Support Center at 196 West Street, Rocky Hill, Connecticut 06067. Connecticut's Municipal Veterans Representative Program, directed by Connecticut General Statutes section 27-135, also gives veterans an initial point of contact in each municipality.

How It Works With Your Federal VA Benefits

A fair question when a state benefit lands in the mailbox: does claiming it disturb your VA disability compensation or your VA pension?

It helps to see where the benefit sits. Connecticut's veterans' property-tax exemption is created and administered under state law and is a separate program from the federal VA's disability-compensation and pension benefits. It lowers what you owe your town; it is not a payment issued by the VA. One thing to check against your own circumstances, though: VA Pension is a needs-based benefit, and to be eligible for it your net worth has to fall under a limit that runs at $163,699 from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026. If you receive a needs-based VA benefit or are applying for one, ask an accredited representative how your own finances are counted rather than assuming.

The distinction matters most if you also receive, or are applying for, VA Aid and Attendance, the monthly add-on to a VA pension for veterans who need help with daily activities. In 2026, the maximum Aid and Attendance pension is $29,093 a year for a qualifying veteran with no dependents and $34,488 a year for a veteran with one dependent, paid out in monthly twelfths. Aid and Attendance is needs-based and carries its own tests, including that net worth limit and a requirement that you need another person's help with daily activities such as bathing, feeding, and dressing. The Connecticut exemption, by contrast, turns on your service-connected rating and the property you own in Connecticut.

The CT DVA's accredited Veteran Service Officers help Connecticut veterans apply for federal VA services, including Veterans Pension and VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance, and the VA states that the services an accredited VSO representative provides on VA benefit claims are always free, while an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge fees. For the federal side in detail, our Connecticut Aid and Attendance guide covers eligibility, rates, and filing, and our overview of VA benefits for senior care in Connecticut shows how the pieces fit together. If you are comparing states, our national guide to disabled veteran property tax exemptions by state explains the three models states build these exemptions on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a 100 percent rating to get anything in Connecticut?

No. A Connecticut resident with a VA service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent is entitled to a property-tax exemption under Section 12-81(20), and the rating does not have to be permanent. The amount is smaller and depends on your age, rating, and income level, but it is a real reduction. The full primary-residence exemption under Section 12-81(83) is the one that requires a 100 percent service-connected permanent and total rating. If a later VA decision raises your rating, bring the new decision letter to your assessor.

I rent. Is there anything for me?

Possibly. Under the 100 percent permanent and total exemption, if the veteran does not own a dwelling, the exemption applies instead to one motor vehicle the veteran owns and keeps in Connecticut. That is the form the exemption takes for a veteran who rents. Ask your town assessor how it is applied to your vehicle.

What are the deadlines, exactly?

There are two, and they attach to different proofs. For Connecticut's disabled veteran property tax exemption, the September 30 date is the one for proof of qualifying military service; January 1 is the date for proof of a qualifying 100 percent permanent and total disability rating. Both proofs go to your Connecticut town assessor, so that is the office to ask where your filing stands.

Can my spouse keep the exemption if I die?

Often, yes. Under Section 12-81(83), the exemption carries over on the veteran's death to the surviving spouse while that spouse remains unmarried, and to the veteran's child while still a minor. Raise it with your Connecticut town assessor promptly after a death so the exemption stays attached to the property, and raise it even if the veteran never claimed it.

Will this reduce my VA compensation or pension?

Connecticut's exemption is a separate program created and administered under state law, distinct from the federal VA's disability-compensation and pension benefits. It reduces the property tax you owe your Connecticut town rather than any payment from the VA. Be careful with the pension side, though. VA Pension, and the Aid and Attendance add-on that rides on it, are needs-based: eligibility requires net worth under a limit that runs at $163,699 from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026. So if you receive a needs-based VA benefit or are seeking one, get your own case looked at rather than assuming: an accredited VSO at the CT DVA Office of Advocacy and Assistance represents veterans on U.S. VA claims and compensation.

Is this the same as Connecticut's senior tax relief?

No. This exemption runs on your VA service-connected disability rating. Connecticut's main senior break is the state-funded Homeowners' Elderly/Disabled (Circuit Breaker) Tax Relief Program, a separate program that gives homeowners 65 or older (or totally disabled) with income at or below the annual limits a credit against their local property taxes, applied for at the assessor's office between February 1 and May 15. If both could apply to you, ask your assessor how they interact before you file. Our Connecticut senior property tax relief guide covers the age-based track.

Learn More

VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in ConnecticutVA Aid and Attendance in Connecticut for 2026: who qualifies, monthly rates up to $2,874, how to apply, and free accredited help from the Connecticut DVA. VA BenefitsVA Benefits You Can Use for Senior Care in ConnecticutConnecticut veterans may qualify for up to $2,874/month in Aid and Attendance, plus VA home care, Veteran-Directed Care, and the Rocky Hill veterans home. FinancialConnecticut Senior Property Tax ReliefHow Connecticut seniors cut property taxes: the Circuit Breaker credit, local town relief, and the Renters' Rebate. Income limits, deadlines, how to apply. VA BenefitsDisabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption by StateMost states fully or partially exempt a service-connected disabled veteran's home from property tax. See how the three models work and find your state. VA BenefitsVA Benefits for Senior Care: A Complete GuideA complete guide to VA benefits for senior care: long-term care, Aid and Attendance, pensions, DIC, and home grants for older veterans and surviving spouses.

Find personalized help claiming the Connecticut disabled veteran property tax exemption at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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