Updated January 2026
New Hampshire Veteran Benefits 2026
New Hampshire offers several benefits for veterans and military retirees. Here is a summary of the key tax and property benefits available in NH for 2026.
New Hampshire Highlights
- No income tax on wages or retirement pay
- Property tax credits for veterans
- Free state park admission for disabled veterans
- NH Veterans Home residential care
Income Tax Treatment
New Hampshire has no state income tax. New Hampshire taxes neither wages nor pensions; its remaining interest-and-dividends tax was repealed effective January 1, 2025.
This means military retirement pay, active duty pay, and all other income sources are free from state income tax. VA disability compensation is also tax-free at the federal level.
Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans in New Hampshire
Type: Income-tax credit (refund)
New Hampshire's disabled-veteran benefit is a property TAX CREDIT (a direct reduction of the tax bill), not an assessed-value exemption. The state-default credit under RSA 72:35 is $700; a municipality may vote to adopt a higher amount, up to $5,000. It requires a total and permanent service-connected disability (or service-connected double amputee/paraplegic). Separately, RSA 72:36-a grants a FULL exemption from all property tax for certain 100% permanently/totally disabled (or double-amputee/blind) veterans whose homestead was specially adapted with VA SAH/SHA assistance. NH also has a small $50 all-veterans' credit (RSA 72:28) — distinct from the disabled-veteran benefits.
| VA disability rating / category | What you get |
|---|---|
| Total & permanent service-connected disability (also double amputee or paraplegic) — RSA 72:35 | Tax credit: $700 default; municipality may adopt $701 up to $5,000Honorable discharge; owns/occupies as principal residence on April 1; VA certification of total & permanent service-connection. Locally adopted amount varies by town. |
| 100% permanent & total disabled, OR double amputee, OR blind (5/200 or less), with VA-adapted homestead — RSA 72:36-a | FULL exemption from all property tax on the homesteadHome must be specially adapted via VA SAH/SHA grant (or acquired with proceeds from such a home). Permanent total disability per 38 C.F.R. 3.340. |
| Baseline (any qualifying wartime veteran) — RSA 72:28 | $50 credit (town may adopt up to $750)Not a disability benefit; listed for contrast. |
- Income limit: None for the disabled-veteran credit or the RSA 72:36-a full exemption.
- Age requirement: None.
- Surviving spouse: Yes — surviving spouse of a qualifying disabled veteran is eligible under both RSA 72:35 and RSA 72:36-a (surviving spouse as defined in RSA 72:29, V).
- Counts being paid at 100% via unemployability (TDIU)? Varies / not explicitly addressed — confirm with the assessor or state VA
Source: RSA 72:35 (disabled-vet tax credit); RSA 72:36-a (full exemption for VA-adapted homes); RSA 72:28 (baseline veterans' credit) and a second official source. Verified June 2026 against primary sources.
To apply, contact your county assessor's office or the New Hampshire Department of Veterans Affairs. You will typically need your VA disability rating letter (and often your DD‑214) and proof that the home is your primary residence.
Real estate vs. personal property: this benefit applies to real-estate (home/homestead) property tax. Personal-property taxes — such as the annual tax some states levy on vehicles — are separate and generally still apply, even at a 100% rating, unless your state specifically exempts them.
VA Healthcare in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has approximately 1 VA medical center along with community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) throughout the state. Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare can receive care at any VA facility nationwide.
To find the nearest VA facility, visit VA.gov Facility Locator.