Legal & Tax
Browse legal and tax benefits available to military-connected families. Placeholder copy not final.
155 benefits
MSRRA
Military spouses can claim the service member's State of Legal Residence as their own for state-tax purposes, even if they're physically living in another state due to PCS orders.$3,000-$10,000
VeteranActive DutyRetiree
Federal .gov
CZTE
Pay earned by enlisted, warrant officers, and (capped) commissioned officers in a designated combat zone is FEDERAL-INCOME-TAX-FREE.FREE
Active Duty
Federal .gov
IRS Section 121
The standard IRS Section 121 home-sale capital-gains exclusion ($250K single / $500K married) requires you to have lived in the home as your primary residence for 2 of the last 5 years.free
Active Duty
Federal .gov
USFSPA + SCRA
Under SCRA, a service member can break a lease at any time during active-duty service for a PCS, deployment, or initial entry.Active Duty
Federal .gov
RMC Calculator
Civilian Salary Equivalent (CSE) = Base Pay + BAH + BAS + Tax Advantage. Use to negotiate civilian offers correctly post-separation.Active DutyVeteranRetiree
Federal .gov
State Tax + Cost-of-Living Tools
Free paycheck/retirement-tax/cost-of-living calculators. Critical for picking which state to retire to, state income tax + property tax can swing $10K+/yr.Free
VeteranRetiree
Official program
Military Retirement Pay Calculator + DD 2656
Use the projected retirement calculator + complete DD 2656 to estimate retirement pay. Don't include disability pay in baseline calculation, treat it as bonus.Retiree
Federal .gov
Cost of Living Comparison
BankRate / BestPlaces / PayScale / Expatistan, run before any retirement-location decision. State + city level differences are massive.VeteranRetiree
Editorial
Key Financial Action Items
SCRA expires once no longer active, get APR refresh BEFORE that date. Free MyFICO access via Fleet and Family. Dependent care FSA at FSAFEDS.Free
Active DutyRetireeDependent
Federal .gov
MilTax
Free H&R Block-powered tax prep + filing for active, Guard, Reserve, recent veterans (1 year post-separation), survivors.Free
Active DutyVeteranDependent
Federal .gov
JAG Legal Assistance
Free legal help on personal civil matters (wills, POA, family law, consumer issues) from base JAG offices. Available to active, retirees, and dependents.Free
Active DutyRetireeDependent
Federal .gov
ABA Military Pro Bono Project
American Bar Association project, free representation by volunteer civilian attorneys for service members + families on civil legal matters (beyond what JAG can cover).free
Active DutyVeteranDependent
Official program
Stateside Legal
Free legal info + state-by-state legal aid directory for veterans and military families. Covers benefits, housing, family, consumer law.Free
VeteranActive DutyDependent
Official program
100 Percent Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption
Texas veterans awarded 100 percent disability compensation by the VA, or rated individually unemployable, pay zero property taxes on their primary residence.Veteran
Federal .gov
Partial Property Tax Exemption
Texas veterans with a service-connected disability rating between 10 and 99 percent qualify for a partial property tax exemption on any one property they own.$5,000 off
VeteranDependent
Federal .gov
Disabled Veteran Business and Occupational License Exemption
Alabama veterans with a disability of 25% or more (service-connected or not) who run a one-person business may pay no more than $25 total in state, county, and municipal…Veteran
State source
Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend
Alaska veterans who served outside the state while on active duty may still claim continuous Alaska residency for Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) eligibility purposes.VeteranActive Duty
Federal .gov
Arizona waives both the vehicle license tax and registration fees for veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled by the U.S.
Veteran
Federal .gov
Arizona active-duty service members deployed out of state can apply for a one-year waiver of vehicle license tax and registration fees.
Active Duty
Federal .gov
Arizona Income Tax Exemption
Arizona does not tax active-duty military pay.Active DutyVeteran
Federal .gov
Disabled Veterans' Property Tax Exemption
California completely removes property tax on the primary home of a veteran who is 100% service-connected disabled (or unemployable rated at 100%).Veteran
State source
Gold Star Spouse Property Tax Exemption
Surviving spouses of military service members who died in the line of duty, or whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease, can exempt 50% of the first $200,000…Dependent
Editorial
Military Retirement Pay
Retired military members do not pay Connecticut income tax on their military retirement pay, as long as the retirement pay is taxed on their federal return (i.e., not already fully federally excluded).Retiree
Federal .gov
Motor Vehicle Property Tax Exemption
Any active-duty member of the U.S.Active DutyVeteran
State source