KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Wisconsin doesn’t tax military retired pay or SBP annuities, and since 2021 residents can subtract active-duty military pay from Wisconsin income.
- Veterans rated 100% (or individually unemployable) get a refundable income tax credit for all the property tax on their home and up to one acre, and it continues for an unremarried surviving spouse.
- The Wisconsin GI Bill waives full tuition and fees at Universities of Wisconsin and technical colleges for up to 8 semesters or 128 credits, and covers the spouse and children of veterans rated 30% or higher.
- Disabled veterans get 10, 15 or 20 points on state civil service exams, and those rated 30% or more can be hired without competing.
- Veterans rated 50% or more pay $7 for a recreation card that covers state park admission, trail passes and small game and fishing licenses.
- Wisconsin Veteran Benefits by Disability Rating
- Wisconsin Income Tax Benefits
- Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit
- Education Benefits
- Employment Benefits
- Driver’s Licenses and License Plates
- Hunting, Fishing and State Parks
- Wisconsin Veterans Homes
- Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemeteries
- Emergency Grants, Housing and Health Care
- Surviving Spouse and Family Benefits
- How to Claim Wisconsin Veteran Benefits, Step by Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
Wisconsin is generous where it counts for career military families: retired pay is tax-free, active-duty pay can be subtracted, and veterans rated 100% can recover every dollar of property tax on their home. Its state GI Bill is one of the strongest education benefits anywhere, and it extends to spouses and children. Most programs, though, depend on Wisconsin residency rules that trip people up, so this guide spells out who qualifies for each benefit, what it’s worth and how to apply.
Wisconsin Veteran Benefits by Disability Rating
Many Wisconsin benefits switch on at a specific VA rating. This is what each level unlocks, using the rules covered in detail below:
| Your status | What you get in Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Any eligible veteran | Tax-free military retired pay, Wisconsin GI Bill (with residency and service rules), 10-point state hiring preference, veteran ID on your license, state veterans homes and cemeteries |
| Any service-connected rating under 30% | 15 points on state civil service exams |
| 30% or higher | 20 exam points, non-competitive state hiring, Wisconsin GI Bill for your spouse and children |
| 50% or higher (or IU) | $7 Disabled Veteran Recreation Card, $10 spring turkey authorization, employer hiring grants |
| 70% or higher (or IU) | Free state park, forest and trail pass; $3 fishing license; 10 exam points for your spouse |
| 100% (or IU paid at 100%) | Refundable property tax credit for all property tax on your home |
If you’re just short of one of these lines, our VA disability ratings guide explains how VA combines ratings and when an increase is worth filing for.
Wisconsin Income Tax Benefits
Military Retired Pay and Survivor Annuities
All payments from the U.S. military retirement system are exempt from Wisconsin income tax, including Survivor Benefit Plan and Retired Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan annuities paid to a surviving spouse, according to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. VA disability compensation and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation aren’t taxable either. Thrift Savings Plan withdrawals, however, are taxed. If you’re weighing whether your spouse should be covered after you die, our Survivor Benefit Plan guide explains the cost and payout.
Active-Duty Pay: Subtracted Since 2021
This is the change older guides miss. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2020, Wisconsin residents can subtract military pay received for active duty, including base, special and incentive pay. Pay for inactive-duty training (drill weekends) and the basic housing allowance don’t qualify. Guard and Reserve members on active-duty orders use the same general subtraction; the separate Guard and Reserve line was dropped from the forms starting with the 2024 tax year. Combat pay excluded federally is also exempt from Wisconsin tax.
Military Spouses and Filing Extensions
- Nonresident military spouses: a spouse who is in Wisconsin only to be with a service member stationed here, and who claims another state as their residence under federal law, doesn’t pay Wisconsin tax on wages earned here.
- Overseas on the deadline: resident service members outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico on the filing deadline get a two-month extension.
- Combat zones: service members in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area get 180 days after leaving the zone (or after hospitalization ends), plus the days left in the filing period.
- Social Security isn’t taxed in Wisconsin.
Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit
Wisconsin doesn’t exempt veterans’ homes from property tax directly. Instead, eligible veterans pay the tax and get it back through a refundable credit on their state income tax return — equal to all the property taxes paid on a principal residence and up to one acre of land. Because it’s refundable, you receive the full amount even if you owe no income tax.
Who Qualifies
- You served on active duty under honorable conditions
- You were a Wisconsin resident when you entered active duty, or have lived in Wisconsin for any five consecutive years after entering
- You have a 100% service-connected rating, or are rated individually unemployable and paid at the 100% rate
- You’re a Wisconsin resident now
Surviving Spouses
An unremarried surviving spouse qualifies if the veteran met the service and residency rules and was a Wisconsin resident at death, and one of these is true: the veteran was rated 100% or individually unemployable; the veteran died on active duty or in the line of duty while training with the Guard or Reserve; or the spouse receives Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
How the Credit Works and How to Apply
- The credit covers only your principal residence, not a cottage, vacation home or rental.
- If you own the home jointly with someone other than your spouse, you claim only your share.
- On a farm or business property, only the taxes on the residence portion count.
- Renters who pay property tax as part of rent may qualify with proof.
- A life estate or revocable trust doesn’t disqualify you.
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs certifies eligibility, and the Department of Revenue pays the credit through your income tax return. Start with your County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer, who will help you request a Veteran’s Residency Affidavit; WDVA’s booklet (form B0106) has the forms and instructions. The WDVA property tax credit page links to the current booklet.
Education Benefits
Wisconsin GI Bill Tuition Remission
The Wisconsin GI Bill waives full tuition and segregated fees for up to eight full-time semesters or 128 credits, whichever is greater, at Universities of Wisconsin campuses and Wisconsin Technical College System schools. It’s a state program, separate from VA education benefits, and it works for any degree level, full time or part time.
Veterans qualify with an honorable discharge and one of these: 90 days of active duty during a wartime period, service in a crisis zone, two years of active duty or the full initial obligation, eligibility for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or an equivalent, or an early discharge for a service-connected disability, hardship or reduction in force. You must be a current resident who either lived in Wisconsin when you entered service or has lived here for five consecutive years before applying.
Spouses and children qualify if the veteran meets the service rules and has a service-connected rating of 30% or more, or died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability. Children must be at least 17 and under 26, and surviving spouses must be unremarried. Residency rules apply to the family as well.
Apply through MyWisVets, WDVA’s online portal, or by sending WDVA the Request for Certification for Wisconsin G.I. Bill with your DD-214. Many students stack the state benefit with the federal one; our Post-9/11 GI Bill guide explains what VA pays toward housing and books.
Other State Education Grants
- Veterans Grant for Private Nonprofit Schools: the lesser of $2,000 or 50% of tuition per semester, matched by the school, for students enrolled at least half time in a bachelor’s or graduate program. Semesters used under the Wisconsin GI Bill count against the same eight-semester limit.
- VetEd Reimbursement Grant: tuition reimbursement for veterans without a bachelor’s degree whose household income is under $50,000 (plus $1,000 for each dependent beyond two). You can be reimbursed for 30 credits with 90 to 180 days of active duty, 60 credits with 181 to 730 days, or 120 credits with 731 days or more, at full value within 10 years of discharge. You must apply for the Wisconsin GI Bill first.
- National Guard Tuition Grant: up to 100% of UW–Madison tuition for up to eight full-time terms for drilling enlisted members and warrant officers without a bachelor’s degree, at Wisconsin schools or reciprocity schools in neighboring states. Call 608-242-3159.
- In-state tuition: nonresident service members stationed in Wisconsin, or in a neighboring state within 90 miles of the border, and their families pay resident rates, as do Guard and Reserve members who have lived in Wisconsin and served at least six months.
- Diplomas: veterans 65 and older (55 with a service-connected disability) who left a Wisconsin high school to serve during wartime can receive a diploma.
Employment Benefits
On competitive state civil service exams, Wisconsin adds:
- 10 points for veterans
- 15 points for disabled veterans rated under 30%
- 20 points for disabled veterans rated 30% or more
- 10 points for the spouse of a veteran rated 70% or more, and for the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran killed in action or who died of a service-connected disability
The preference applies only to initial state employment. Veterans with an honorable discharge and a 30% or higher rating can also skip the competitive process entirely through a non-competitive appointment: apply at wisc.jobs under Job ID 3375 with your DD-214 and a VA benefit summary letter from the past 12 months.
- Military leave for state employees: Guard and Reserve members who are permanent state employees get 30 days of paid military leave a year, and differential pay for up to 179 days when called to extended active duty.
- Veterans Retraining Grant: up to $3,000 a year for up to two years for recently unemployed or underemployed veterans who are retraining for work, based on financial need.
- Employer hiring grants: WDVA pays employers up to $5,000 for each veteran rated 50% or more they hire full time, or $2,500 part time.
- Veteran-owned business certification: businesses at least 51% owned by veterans with under $1.5 million in annual sales can be certified and may get preference on state contracts. A separate program certifies veteran-owned farms.
Driver’s Licenses and License Plates
- Veteran identifier: qualifying veterans with an honorable or general discharge can add a veteran identifier to their license or state ID after WDVA verifies eligibility (800-947-8387 or MyWisVets).
- Disabled Veteran plates: for veterans whose service-connected disability limits walking or breathing, certified by a VA health care provider. They allow parking in disabled spaces and free parking at meters with a half-hour or longer limit.
- Military and Gold Star plates: the Military plate takes up to two of more than 50 service and medal decals; Gold Star Family plates have no issue fee; Medal of Honor plates are free and never expire. Personalizing a plate costs $15 a year.
- Service members stationed out of state can use modified DMV procedures for renewals, license extensions until after separation and other transactions.
Hunting, Fishing and State Parks
- Disabled Veteran Recreation Card ($7): for residents rated 50% or more or individually unemployable; covers state park admission, a trail pass, and small game and fishing licenses.
- Free park, forest and trail pass: for residents rated 70% or more, individually unemployable, or former POWs. It covers admission, not camping fees. Your County Veterans Service Officer certifies the application.
- Reduced-fee licenses: a $3 fishing license at 70% or more (or IU, or receiving a VA pension), and a $10 spring turkey harvest authorization at 50% or more.
- Returning veterans: a one-time free small game, archery, gun deer or annual fishing license, redeemed within 365 days of discharge with a WDVA voucher.
- Purple Heart recipients: a Conservation Patron license for $10 (residents) and other privileges.
- Service members: free small game and fishing licenses on leave, resident prices for nonresidents stationed here, and the option to defer drawn permits during deployment.
Wisconsin Veterans Homes
Wisconsin runs three veterans homes offering long-term skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation. Wisconsin residency isn’t required to apply, but residents of more than six months get priority.
| Home | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| King | N2665 County Road QQ, King | 715-258-5586 |
| Union Grove | 21425 G Spring Street, Union Grove | 262-838-6700 |
| Chippewa Falls | 2175 E. Park Avenue, Chippewa Falls | 715-720-6775 |
Veterans need an honorable discharge and either two years of peacetime active duty (or the full initial obligation) or 90 days of active duty including a day of wartime service. Spouses, surviving spouses and parents of service members killed on active duty can also be admitted. Respite and memory care aren’t offered at Chippewa Falls.
Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemeteries
WDVA operates three state veterans cemeteries. Burial is free for eligible veterans; spouses and dependent children pay a fee. Eligibility follows VA national cemetery rules, and you can pre-register through MyWisVets.
- Northern: N4063 Veterans Way, Spooner, 715-635-5360
- Central: N2666 County Road QQ, King, 715-256-5000
- Southern: 21731 Spring Street, Union Grove, 262-878-5660
Emergency Grants, Housing and Health Care
- Assistance grants: WDVA’s health care aid can cover dental care (up to $800 a year), vision (up to $400) and hearing aids, and subsistence aid can replace lost income after illness, injury or disaster, up to $3,000 a year and $7,500 lifetime. Household income must be at or below 200% of the poverty guideline. Apply through your County Veterans Service Officer.
- Homeless veterans: the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program in Union Grove provides housing for up to 24 months with job training and recovery support (262-878-9151).
- Outreach and recovery: regional coordinators connect veterans with mental health and substance use treatment, and the program may help pay for it.
Wisconsin’s VA medical centers are in Madison, Milwaukee and Tomah. If you haven’t enrolled, you can apply for VA health care online; our VA health care enrollment guide explains priority groups.
Surviving Spouse and Family Benefits
An unremarried surviving spouse can keep the property tax credit if the veteran qualified, and can claim it if the veteran died in service or the spouse receives DIC. SBP annuities are tax-free in Wisconsin, and spouses and children of veterans who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability can use the Wisconsin GI Bill. For the federal side, see our guide to VA benefits for surviving spouses.
How to Claim Wisconsin Veteran Benefits, Step by Step
- Gather your documents: your DD-214 and, for rating-based benefits, a recent VA benefit summary letter. WDVA can help find a lost DD-214 or medals.
- Contact your County or Tribal Veterans Service Officer: their help is free, and they certify the property tax credit, park pass and assistance grant applications.
- Set up MyWisVets: WDVA’s portal handles the Wisconsin GI Bill, VetEd, the veteran license identifier and cemetery pre-registration.
- Claim tax benefits on your return: the active-duty subtraction and the property tax credit (once WDVA certifies you) go on your Wisconsin income tax return.
Questions go to the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs at 800-WIS-VETS (800-947-8387).
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. All payments from the U.S. military retirement system are exempt from Wisconsin income tax, including Survivor Benefit Plan and RSFPP annuities paid to surviving spouses. VA disability compensation is not taxed either, but Thrift Savings Plan withdrawals are.
Not for most residents. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2020, Wisconsin residents can subtract active-duty military pay, including base, special and incentive pay. Pay for inactive-duty training and the basic housing allowance do not qualify.
Veterans with a 100% service-connected rating, or rated individually unemployable and paid at the 100% rate, who served under honorable conditions, entered service as Wisconsin residents or later lived in Wisconsin for five consecutive years, and live in Wisconsin now. Certain unremarried surviving spouses also qualify. The refundable credit equals all the property tax on the home and up to one acre.
They pay the tax bill but get all of it back. Wisconsin gives eligible 100% and individually unemployable veterans a refundable income tax credit equal to all the property taxes paid on their principal residence and up to one acre. WDVA certifies eligibility and the credit is claimed on the state income tax return.
Yes, if you meet the service requirements and have a service-connected rating of 30% or more, or died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability. Children must be at least 17 and under 26 and meet the residency rules. The benefit waives tuition and fees for up to eight semesters or 128 credits at UW and technical colleges.
Yes. The Wisconsin GI Bill is a separate state program that waives tuition and fees, so many students use it alongside federal VA education benefits, which can pay housing and book stipends. Other state grants such as VetEd pay only after federal benefits are applied.
Residents rated 70% or more, rated individually unemployable, or former POWs can get a free state park, forest and trail pass. Residents rated 50% or more can buy a $7 Disabled Veteran Recreation Card that also includes small game and fishing licenses.
This article is provided by USMilitary.org, an independent educational resource. We are not affiliated with the State of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, VA or any government agency. Benefits and eligibility rules change; confirm current details with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, your County Veterans Service Officer or the official Wisconsin state benefits summary before you apply.