Maine Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption Guide (2026)

If you're a qualifying veteran, Maine's disabled veteran property tax exemption takes up to $6,000 of just value off your home, or up to $50,000 for a specially adapted housing unit.1

The Maine veterans exemption is written into state law at 36 M.R.S. §653, and it is keyed to service, age and total disability. Under §653, a veteran who served during a federally recognized war period, or who was awarded an expeditionary medal, qualifies once they reach age 62 by April 1 or while they receive a federal pension or compensation for total disability. Surviving spouses, minor children and some parents can qualify too. The first-year application for Maine's veterans exemption goes to your town or city assessor by April 1, so the calendar matters as much as the paperwork.1

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• How Much Maine's Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption Is Worth
• Who Qualifies for the Maine Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption?
• If You're a Surviving Spouse, Minor Child, or Parent
• What "Just Value" Means on Your Tax Bill
• Ownership Rules That Trip People Up
• How to Apply for the Maine Veterans Exemption by April 1
• Stacking It With Other Maine Property Tax Relief
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

How Much Maine's Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption Is Worth

Maine sets its veterans exemption as a slice of your home's value that isn't taxed, and the size of that slice depends on which paragraph of §653 you fall under. Under Maine's §653 veterans exemption, most qualifying veterans, surviving spouses, minor children and parents get up to $6,000 of just value. A Maine veteran who meets the war-period or expeditionary-medal service test, is described in 38 U.S.C. §2101, and received a federal grant for a specially adapted housing unit gets up to $50,000 of just value on that unit in place of the $6,000 amount, and so does that veteran's unremarried surviving spouse. Under 36 M.R.S. §653, an individual can't take the exemption under more than one paragraph, so the $50,000 specially adapted housing amount replaces the $6,000 amount rather than adding to it.1

All of the amounts in this table are Maine's statutory just-value figures from 36 M.R.S. §653, and Property Tax Bulletin No. 7, the state's veterans exemption bulletin dated October 14, 2025, describes the veteran who qualifies for the $50,000 specially adapted housing amount as totally and permanently disabled.1

Who Qualifies for the Maine Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption?

Maine's §653 exemption asks two questions of a veteran: when and how you served, and whether you've reached age 62 or are being paid for total disability. Here's how each piece works.

The service test. Under 36 M.R.S. §653, the main route to the Maine veterans exemption is for a veteran who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during a federally recognized war period, or who was awarded an expeditionary medal for service in the Armed Forces. Maine law defines a veteran as someone who was on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and, if discharged, retired or separated, left under other than dishonorable conditions.1

Age 62 or total disability. A Maine veteran who meets the service test qualifies for the $6,000 exemption once they have reached age 62 by April 1 of the year they request it, or while they receive any form of pension or compensation from the U.S. government for total disability as a veteran, whether that disability is service-connected or nonservice-connected. That's why age alone can carry a veteran over the line in Maine: a veteran with a partial rating, or no rating at all, who served in a war period qualifies at 62.1

The service-connected total disability route. Maine's §653 also lists a separate route for a veteran who is disabled by injury or disease incurred or aggravated in the line of duty during active military service and who receives any form of federal pension or compensation for total, service-connected disability. A veteran who qualifies on Maine's line-of-duty route gets up to $6,000 of just value under the §653 veterans exemption.1

Unemployability counts as total. Maine's Property Tax Bulletin No. 7 says a veteran receiving compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as unemployable at the 100% level is considered totally disabled for the Maine veterans exemption, so that veteran can qualify on total disability without waiting for age 62.1

Maine residency. Under 36 M.R.S. §653, no one can be granted the Maine veterans exemption unless they are a resident of Maine.1

If You're a Surviving Spouse, Minor Child, or Parent

Surviving family members can claim Maine's veterans exemption in their own name. Under 36 M.R.S. §653, the unremarried surviving spouse or minor child of a veteran qualifies for up to $6,000 of just value if the veteran would have been entitled to the exemption if living, or if the spouse or child receives a federal pension or compensation as the surviving spouse or minor child of a veteran.1

A parent can qualify too, but the Maine test for a parent is narrow. The parent of a deceased veteran qualifies for up to $6,000 of just value under §653 if the parent is 62 or older, is an unremarried surviving spouse, and receives a federal pension or compensation based on the service-connected death of that veteran. Under §653, the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who met Maine's specially adapted housing test also qualifies for up to $50,000 of just value on that housing unit.1

If the veteran died within the 12 months before April 1, there's some breathing room. Maine's Property Tax Bulletin No. 7 says an assessor may abate taxes for a qualifying spouse or child who missed the April 1 application deadline, if they apply within one year of the commitment date and the veteran died during the 12 months before that April 1. The word "may" matters: the late-filing abatement is the assessor's call, so apply as soon as you can.1

What "Just Value" Means on Your Tax Bill

The $6,000 and $50,000 figures in Maine's veterans exemption are stated in just value, and the assessor converts them to assessed value before applying them. Under 36 M.R.S. §653, the assessor multiplies the exemption by the municipality's certified ratio, the ratio of current just value its assessments are based on.1

Maine's Property Tax Bulletin No. 7 gives the example: in a municipality with an 85% certified ratio, the $6,000 veterans exemption becomes $5,100 ($6,000 × 0.85) of assessed value. Your assessor can tell you your town's current certified ratio and what the exemption means for your own bill.1

Some towns add to it. According to Maine's Property Tax Bulletin No. 7, if a municipality's certified ratio is less than 100% and the municipality has enacted a veteran benefit program under 36 M.R.S. §6234, a resident veteran may be eligible for an additional exemption, and veterans who rent their homes may be eligible for a $100 benefit. Both depend on what your municipality has adopted, so ask your assessor whether your town has adopted a §6234 program.1

Ownership Rules That Trip People Up

Maine's veterans exemption is tied to a specific home in a specific place, and a few ownership details decide whether it applies. Here's what the statute and the state's Bulletin No. 7 say.1

• Where the property is: Maine's veterans exemption applies only to property, or an interest in property, that is taxable in the municipality where you keep your permanent residence.1
• Joint ownership and trusts: For a Maine veteran, the exemption covers property held in joint tenancy with the veteran's spouse or held in a revocable living trust for the veteran's benefit.1
• Life estates: Maine's Property Tax Bulletin No. 7 treats the holder of a life estate in a property as its owner for the veterans exemption, which matters if you've deeded the home to your children and kept a life estate.1
• One paragraph per person: Under 36 M.R.S. §653, an individual can't claim the exemption under more than one paragraph, even if they fit more than one.1
• Two eligible people in one home: Maine's Bulletin No. 7 says that if two eligible veterans or eligible individuals live in the same property, each may receive a just value exemption.1

How to Apply for the Maine Veterans Exemption by April 1

The application for Maine's veterans exemption is local. You file with the assessors of the municipality where you live, and if you live in Maine's unorganized territory, the assessor is the State Tax Assessor.1

If you turn 62 during the year, check the date against April 1. Maine's Bulletin No. 7 says a veteran qualifying on age must be at least 62 by April 1 of the year the exemption is requested, so a veteran who turns 62 after April 1 meets the age test for the following year.1

Stacking It With Other Maine Property Tax Relief

Two other Maine property tax programs can sit alongside the veterans exemption. Our guide to Maine senior property tax relief covers each one in full.

The Homestead Exemption. Maine's Homestead Exemption reduces the value of a permanent resident's primary home by up to $25,000, adjusted by the local certified ratio, for someone who has owned a Maine home for the twelve months before applying. Maine's guidance says a homeowner who also qualifies for a veteran exemption may receive the Homestead Exemption in addition to it, and the Homestead application is also due to the municipality on or before April 1.2

The Property Tax Fairness Credit for 100% P&T veterans. The Maine Property Tax Fairness Credit is a refundable state income tax credit, and a claimant who meets its residency, income and property-tax tests and is a veteran rated 100% permanently and totally disabled by the VA, or whose spouse is on a joint return, is allowed an additional credit equal to the regular one. For the 2025 tax year, a Maine household with a veteran rated 100% permanently and totally disabled may be eligible for a combined Property Tax Fairness Credit of up to $2,000, or up to $4,000 at 65 or older, but under 36 M.R.S. §5219-KK the combined credit can't exceed the Maine property tax, or rent constituting property tax, the household actually paid on its homestead. The veteran claiming the additional Maine Property Tax Fairness Credit must enclose a VA Rating Decision Letter or VA Benefit Summary Letter with the return.2

Learn More

Find personalized help filing for Maine's veterans property tax exemption before April 1 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.