Veteran Field Manual

VA Disability Ratings: The 5% Math Behind the 2026 Pay

A 10% rating pays $180.42 a month. A 100% rating pays $3,938.58. The path between them is not linear - here is the whole table.

The facts

012026 monthly rates (veteran alone): 10% = $180.42; 20% = $356.66; 30% = $552.47; 40% = $795.84; 50% = $1,132.90; 60% = $1,435.02; 70% = $1,808.45; 80% = $2,102.15; 90% = $2,362.30; 100% = $3,938.58 - VA 2026 compensation rates, effective Dec 1, 2025.
02The non-linear jump: 90% to 100% is the biggest cliff in the table - combined ratings round to the nearest 10%, which is why the "VA math" of 50% + 30% = 80% (not 80.0 + 30.0) confuses everyone.
03Add-ons stack on top: a spouse at 100% brings the monthly to $4,158.17; each dependent child under 18 adds more, and a spouse on Aid and Attendance adds $201.41 at the 100% rate.
04At 100% P&T: state property-tax relief in many states (total exemption in Florida and Texas for 100%), Chapter 35 education benefits for dependents in some cases, and no VA funding fee on future loans.
05VA disability compensation is not taxable income for federal tax purposes - it does not count in your AGI, ever.

Sources

VA 2026 Veterans Compensation Benefits Rates (va.gov, effective 12/1/2025)
38 U.S.C. 1114 rate table
Texas Tax Code 11.131 / Florida s.196.24 for property-tax overlays

Reference

VA disability pay rates 2026 (the full table) →

Educational content only — not tax, legal, investment, or VA-benefits advice. Figures verified against the cited sources for 2026; confirm your own situation with a qualified professional before acting.

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