KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Disabled veterans rated 10% or higher can exempt part of their home’s taxable value from property tax, up to $535,459 at 100%, scaled to the rating. Individual unemployability counts as 100%.
- Utah gives military retirees a tax credit equal to the state income tax rate on their taxable retired pay, which cancels most or all of the state tax on it. The rate is 4.45% for 2026.
- The unremarried surviving spouse or minor orphan of a service member killed in action or in the line of duty pays no property tax on the home.
- Veterans with any service-connected rating get a free annual state parks Honor Pass, and those rated 20% or higher can buy a fishing license for $12.
- Purple Heart recipients get free tuition at Utah public colleges, up to a master’s degree, and veterans who have used up their GI Bill can get help with their final year through the Tuition Gap Program.
- Utah Veteran Benefits by Disability Rating
- Utah Income Tax for Veterans and Military Retirees
- Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans
- Education Benefits
- Employment Benefits
- Driver’s Licenses and Plates
- State Parks, Hunting and Fishing
- Homebuyer Grant and Other Help
- Utah State Veterans Homes
- Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park
- Surviving Spouse and Family Benefits
- How to Claim Utah Veteran Benefits, Step by Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
Utah is home to Hill Air Force Base, Dugway Proving Ground and Tooele Army Depot, and its biggest veteran benefit is a property tax exemption that scales with your disability rating: a veteran rated 100% can take up to $535,459 off the taxable value of a home. Military retired pay isn’t exempt from income tax, but a credit tied to the state tax rate cancels most of it. This guide covers each Utah benefit, who qualifies and how to apply, including a correction to what’s been reported about reapplying for the property tax exemption.
Utah Veteran Benefits by Disability Rating
Several of Utah’s benefits depend on your VA rating. Here’s what each level unlocks, using the rules covered below:
| Your status | What you get in Utah |
|---|---|
| Any honorably discharged veteran | Military retirement tax credit, state hiring preference (5 points), “VETERAN” license indicator, veterans homes and state cemetery, free legal referral through Utah@EASE |
| Any service-connected rating | Free state parks Honor Pass, Disabled Veteran license plate, 10-point hiring preference |
| 10% or higher | Property tax exemption on your home, equal to your rating times $535,459 of taxable value |
| 20% or higher | Discounted licenses: fishing $12, hunting $25.50, combination $28.50 |
| 100%, or individual unemployability | The full $535,459 property tax exemption |
| Purple Heart | Free tuition at Utah public colleges, Purple Heart plate with no plate or registration fees, 10-point hiring preference |
Because the property tax exemption scales with your rating, a higher rating is worth real money in Utah. Our VA disability ratings guide explains how VA combines conditions and when to ask for an increase.
Utah Income Tax for Veterans and Military Retirees
Military Retirement Credit
Utah taxes military retired pay as income, then gives it back as a credit. The military retirement credit equals your taxable military retired pay multiplied by the state’s income tax rate, which is a flat 4.45% for 2026 after Senate Bill 60 cut it from 4.5%, retroactive to January 1, 2026, according to EY Tax News. On $30,000 of retired pay, the credit is about $1,335, the same as the tax on that pay.
Two limits matter. The credit can’t reduce your tax below zero and can’t be carried forward or back, so it offsets tax but never produces a refund. And you can’t take it in the same year you or your spouse claim Utah’s general retirement credit. Survivor Benefit Plan, Reserve Component SBP and RSFPP annuities get the same credit. Survivors of a service member who died on active duty or in training claim a separate military survivor benefits credit instead.
Our military pension calculator shows what your retired pay will be before the credit is applied.
Active-Duty Pay, Combat Pay and TSP
Utah taxes military pay the same way the IRS does. Anything included in federal adjusted gross income is taxed, and anything the IRS excludes, such as combat zone pay, is excluded in Utah too. TSP withdrawals are taxable.
A nonresident spouse of a nonresident service member stationed in Utah doesn’t pay Utah tax on their income when both keep the same home state and the spouse is in Utah only to be with the service member. For a service member who dies from service in a combat zone, a combat-related death credit wipes out Utah tax for the year of death.
VA Disability, Disability Retirement and DIC
VA disability compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and military disability retirement paid for an injury or illness from service aren’t taxable income, so Utah doesn’t tax them.
Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans
Utah’s veteran with a disability exemption, in Utah Code 59-2a-501, takes part of your home’s taxable value off the tax rolls. The amount is your VA disability percentage multiplied by a statewide limit, which the Tax Commission lists as $535,459 in its April 2026 property tax relief publication.
| Your rating | Taxable value exempted |
|---|---|
| 10% | $53,546 |
| 30% | $160,638 |
| 50% | $267,730 |
| 70% | $374,821 |
| 100% or individual unemployability | $535,459 |
A few details catch people out:
- It’s taxable value, not market value. Utah taxes a primary residence on 55% of its market value, so the exemption covers more house than the number suggests. A 100% veteran’s exemption covers the taxable value of a home worth roughly $970,000.
- The minimum is 10%. Counties can’t grant it below a 10% rating, and individual unemployability is treated as 100%.
- It can’t exceed your taxable value. Any exemption left over can be applied to taxable personal property you own.
- Citizenship is presumed. Veterans with an honorable or general discharge can’t be asked for extra proof of citizenship.
How to Apply, and Whether You Reapply
Apply with your county auditor or treasurer by September 1 of the year you want the exemption, with a copy of your DD-214 and a statement of disability from VA. Under Utah Code 59-2a-502, once the county has accepted your application it generally can’t make you reapply. A new application is needed only if your rating changes, the veteran dies, the home changes hands or stops being your primary residence, or a different family member takes over the claim. You can even apply before you close on a home, with a purchase contract.
You may have read that House Bill 124 made Utah’s exemption a one-time application in 2026. That bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate when the session ended, so it never became law; the no-reapplication rule above comes from the existing statute. If VA raises your rating with an effective date in a prior year, the county must give you an extra year to claim it.
Killed in Action and Line of Duty Deaths
The unmarried surviving spouse or minor orphan of a service member killed in action or who died in the line of duty pays no property tax on the eligible home: the full taxable value is exempt. The partial exemption also continues for the unremarried surviving spouse or orphaned children of a deceased disabled veteran.
Exemption for Service Members Deployed Outside Utah
Active-duty and reserve members who serve on active duty outside Utah for at least 200 days in a continuous 365-day period pay no property tax on their Utah primary residence for that year. You must own the home on January 1 and file with the county by September 1 with copies of your orders, and you reapply each year you qualify.
If you’re buying in Utah, a VA loan needs no down payment, and Utah adds a $2,500 first-time homebuyer grant for veterans (below).
Education Benefits
- Purple Heart tuition waiver: Utah resident Purple Heart recipients pay no tuition at Utah System of Higher Education schools, through a master’s degree. Bring proof of the award to the school’s admissions office.
- Veterans Tuition Gap Program: covers up to one year of tuition, fees, books and housing for Utah veterans in the final year of a bachelor’s degree who have used up their VA education benefits. You need 180 days of service and an honorable discharge, or a service-connected discharge before 180 days. It works at public schools and private nonprofit schools in Utah.
- Scott B. Lundell Military Survivors Tuition Waiver: free undergraduate tuition (not fees, books or housing) at Utah public colleges for the surviving spouse and children of a Utah resident service member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.
- In-state tuition: granted to service members stationed in Utah and their families, Utah Guard and Utah-based reservists, veterans who were Utah residents for a year before entering service, and veterans using VA education benefits within 12 months of an honorable discharge who intend to become residents.
- Veterans Upward Bound: free college prep, tutoring and admissions help through Weber State University (801-626-7173).
- Honorary diplomas: veterans who left high school to serve in World War II, Korea or Vietnam can request one from their old high school.
Utah National Guard Education Programs
- State Tuition Waiver: waives base tuition (not fees) for a first associate or bachelor’s degree at Utah public colleges; apply January 1 to April 30 for the next school year.
- State Tuition Assistance: up to $7,000 a fiscal year once federal tuition assistance runs out, at any accredited school, from an associate degree through a doctorate.
- State Student Loan Repayment: up to $7,000 a fiscal year toward loans for a completed degree.
Each carries a two-year Guard service obligation. Call the Utah National Guard Education Office at 801-432-4240. For the federal side, see our guide to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Employment Benefits
For initial hiring into Utah state government, veterans’ preference adds 5 points or 5% (whichever is greater) to a passing score for veterans, and 10 points or 10% for veterans with a disability rating and Purple Heart recipients. A spouse or surviving spouse gets the points the veteran would have received. Veterans qualify with 180 days of service and an honorable discharge, or an earlier service-connected discharge. Current service members and military retirees are covered too.
The Department of Workforce Services gives veterans priority of service in job training and placement, and qualifying military drivers can skip parts of the commercial driver’s license testing through the Even Exchange and Military Skills Test Waiver programs.
Driver’s Licenses and Plates
- “VETERAN” indicator: honorably discharged veterans 21 and older can add it to a Utah license or ID in person with a DD-214.
- License extension: a Utah service member’s license, and their family’s, stays valid until 90 days after discharge while they’re stationed outside Utah.
- Disabled Veteran plate: for veterans with any service-connected rating. It doesn’t include disabled parking; that takes a separate placard (Form TC-842). An unremarried surviving spouse can keep the plate.
- Purple Heart plate: no plate or registration fees, though regular vehicle property-related fees still apply.
- Other plates: Gold Star and Honors Veterans designs among 16 military plates. Call the Motor Vehicle Division at 800-368-8824.
State Parks, Hunting and Fishing
- Veterans with Disabilities Honor Pass: free day-use entry to Utah state parks for resident veterans with any service-connected rating and up to seven guests in the same vehicle. Show your VA benefit summary letter at the gate.
- Discounted licenses: resident veterans rated 20% or higher pay $12 for a one-year fishing license, $25.50 for hunting and $28.50 for a combination license through the Division of Wildlife Resources.
Homebuyer Grant and Other Help
- First-time homebuyer grant: $2,500 toward a first home in Utah for veterans who separated within the last five years and current service members eligible for a VA home loan. Any loan type qualifies; apply through the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (fthb@utah.gov).
- Utah@EASE: the Attorney General’s office, the state bar and the veterans department match veterans and service members with volunteer attorneys for SCRA, USERRA, landlord, debt, consumer fraud and estate issues (385-227-9599).
- Homeless Veterans Fellowship: transitional housing for up to 18 months in Ogden (801-392-7662).
Utah State Veterans Homes
Utah runs four veterans homes offering skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care. Respite care is offered in Salt Lake City and Payson, and hospice in Ogden.
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| Home | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake Veterans Home | 700 South Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City | 801-584-1900 |
| George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home | 1102 North 1200 West, Ogden | 801-334-4300 |
| Mervyn Sharpe Bennion Central Utah Veterans Home | 1551 North Main Street, Payson | 801-465-5400 |
| Southern Utah Veterans Home | 160 North 200 East, Ivins | 435-634-5220 |
You need to be a Utah resident who needs nursing home care, with an honorable discharge and more than 180 consecutive days of active duty, reserve service, or a service-connected disability. Spouses and surviving spouses of eligible veterans can also be admitted.
Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park
The state veterans cemetery in Bluffdale offers in-ground casket and urn burial, columbarium niches and a memorial garden for scattering ashes. Burial is free for veterans and includes the plot, opening and closing, a government marker and perpetual care; spouses and dependent children pay a fee. Eligibility follows VA national cemetery rules.
- Address: 17111 South Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale, UT 84065
- Phone: 801-254-9036
Surviving Spouse and Family Benefits
- Property tax: full exemption for the unmarried surviving spouse or minor orphan of a service member killed in action or in the line of duty; the partial disabled-veteran exemption for the unremarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran.
- Income tax: SBP, RCSBP and RSFPP annuities get the same credit as retired pay, and survivors of a service member who died on active duty or in training claim the military survivor benefits credit.
- Tuition: the Scott B. Lundell waiver for families of service members who died in the line of duty since September 11, 2001.
- Hiring preference: a surviving spouse gets the veteran’s preference points.
- Guard death gratuity: $100,000 within 72 hours for the beneficiaries of a Utah Guard member who dies on state active duty.
Federal survivor benefits usually matter most. See our guides to the Survivor Benefit Plan and VA benefits for surviving spouses.
How to Claim Utah Veteran Benefits, Step by Step
- Get your documents: your DD-214 and, for rating-based benefits, a current VA benefit summary letter.
- Talk to a veterans service officer: the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs has free service officers around the state (801-326-2372).
- File the property tax exemption by September 1 with your county auditor or treasurer, with your DD-214 and VA statement of disability.
- Claim the retirement credit on Form TC-40A with your state return.
- Apply for everything else where it’s run: state parks for the Honor Pass, Wildlife Resources for licenses, the Motor Vehicle Division for plates and your college for tuition waivers.
If you haven’t enrolled in VA health care, you can apply online; our VA health care enrollment guide explains priority groups.
RELATED READING
Nevada Veteran Benefits: Complete State Guide →
No state income tax next door, and a veterans property tax exemption that also scales with your rating.
How to Get a VA Disability Rating Increase →
Utah’s property tax exemption grows with every 10% of rating, so an increase pays twice.
Compare Utah with every other state’s taxes, tuition and property tax benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Utah counts military retired pay as income but gives a nonrefundable credit equal to the state income tax rate times your taxable retired pay. The rate is 4.45% for 2026, so the credit cancels most or all of the Utah tax on that pay. It cannot create a refund, and you cannot claim it in the same year as Utah’s general retirement credit.
Your VA disability percentage multiplied by $535,459 of taxable value, the amount in the Tax Commission’s April 2026 publication. A veteran rated 50% can exempt $267,730 of taxable value, and a veteran rated 100% or paid for individual unemployability can exempt the full $535,459. The minimum rating is 10%.
Generally no. Under Utah Code 59-2a-502, once your county accepts the application it can require a new one only if your rating changes, the veteran dies, the home changes ownership or occupancy, or a different family member takes over the claim. House Bill 124, which would have restated this in 2026, did not pass, but the existing statute already limits reapplication.
They can exempt up to $535,459 of their home’s taxable value. Because Utah taxes a primary residence on 55% of its market value, that covers the taxable value of a home worth roughly $970,000, so many 100% disabled veterans pay little or no property tax. Apply with your county by September 1.
Yes. Utah resident veterans with any service-connected disability rating get a free annual Veterans with Disabilities Honor Pass covering day-use entry for the veteran and up to seven guests in the same vehicle. Show your VA benefit summary letter at the park entrance.
Purple Heart recipients get free tuition at Utah public colleges through a master’s degree, and the Veterans Tuition Gap Program pays up to one year of tuition, fees, books and housing for veterans finishing a bachelor’s degree after their VA education benefits run out. Families of service members who died in the line of duty since September 11, 2001 can use the Scott B. Lundell waiver.
Four: Salt Lake City, Ogden, Payson and Ivins. They provide skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care for Utah resident veterans who need nursing home care, and for their spouses and surviving spouses.
This article is provided by USMilitary.org, an independent educational resource. We are not affiliated with the State of Utah, the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, VA or any government agency. Benefits and eligibility rules change; confirm current details with the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, your county auditor or the official Utah state benefits summary before you apply.