50-State Resource Pack · Free for veterans
Veteran Property Tax Exemption — Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Disabled Veterans' Real Estate Tax Exemption is not a discount: qualifying 100% permanently and totally disabled veterans pay no real estate taxes at all on their primary residence — building and land.
The rules in Pennsylvania
Who qualifies
Pennsylvania residents rated by the VA as 100% permanently and totally disabled from service connection — or receiving qualifying special monthly compensation (blindness, loss or loss of use of limbs, paraplegia and similar). Surviving spouses who don't remarry continue to qualify
Benefit
Exemption from payment of all real estate taxes levied on the primary residence — the building and the land it stands on (51 Pa.C.S. Ch. 89). An income test applies: household income must fall below the State Veterans' Commission's annually-set need threshold
How to apply
Apply through the DMVA / State Veterans' Commission process (application plus VA documentation and income information) — your county director of veterans affairs can file it with you
Watch out
The income threshold is set by the Commission and adjusts — confirm the current figure with DMVA before assuming eligibility; the exemption must be re-certified periodically
How it works
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Not yet rated? Start there
Every one of these programs hinges on a VA service-connected rating. If you have not filed a claim, that is the starting point — a free, VA-accredited VSO (DAV, American Legion, VFW) will file it for you at no cost. A higher rating unlocks not just property-tax relief but healthcare, income benefits, and — for business owners — SDVOSB contracting eligibility.
Sources
- Pennsylvania DMVA — Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption (state benefits book) — pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/aging/documents/resources-for-aging-professi
- 51 Pa.C.S. Chapter 89 — Disabled veterans' real estate tax exemption (statute text) — www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/51/00.089..HTM
- Pennsylvania DMVA — PA VetConnect financial assistance programs — www.pa.gov/agencies/dmva/pennsylvania-veterans/pa-vetconnect/state-veterans-prog
Free resource — part of the VES 50-state pack for veterans and veteran-owned businesses. Educational information only, not legal or tax advice; programs change, so confirm current rules with your county before relying on them.
Want it filed for you?
We check your county's rules for free and, if you're eligible, prepare a ready-to-sign filing package for your Pennsylvania property — veteran to veteran. Or start with the full eligibility check.