Veterans Justice Outreach Program
The aim of the Veterans Justice Outreach program is to avoid the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extend incarceration among Veterans by ensuring that eligible, justice-involved Veterans have timely access to Veterans Health Administration services, as clinically indicated. VJO specialists provide direct outreach, assessment and case management for justice-involved Veterans in local courts and jails and liaison with local justice system partners. For legal assistance, visit State Side Legal’s help page or contact the nearest VJO specialist, who may know of community legal assistance resources.
If You Start Collecting Other Disability Benefits
If you receive SSDI and begin collecting other disabilitybenefits, your monthly SSDI benefits may be reduced. For instance, ifyou have been injured on the job and start receiving workers’compensation , your monthly SSDI payment may be reduced. You need to tell the SSAif you apply for or begin receiving another type of disability benefitor if you receive a lump-sum disability payment.
If you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits or other public disability benefits alongwith your SSDI, the total amount of all the benefits cannot be more than80% of what your average current earnings were before you becamedisabled. If the total is more than 80% of what your average currentearnings were before you became disabled, the SSA will deduct the extraamount from your SSDI payment each month.
Will My Benefits Still Be Tax
Yes, if your VA disability rating is increased, your benefits will remain tax-free. Regardless of a veterans rating percentage, all VA disability benefits are tax-free.
In addition, veterans who are granted an increase in their disability rating, which may include a retroactive determination, OR veterans who have been granted Combat-Related Special Compensation after an award for Concurrent Retirement and Disability may be eligible to claim a federal tax refund.
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Military Spouses And Taxes
Maybe your VA disability isnt taxable when it goes directly into your own bank account, but what if the recipient is a spouse or other relative? Your spouse and other qualifying family members will also enjoy the perks of being attached to the military, including education and training, without owing taxes on those benefits. But if youre earning a pension, you may wonder what happens to that money if your spouse outlives you. Unfortunately, your military pension is attached to you, which means when youre gone, its gone, as well.
To help military members protect their loved ones, the Survivor Benefit Plan is provided as a separate insurance policy. This plan issues a monthly payment to your survivors to make up for the retirement income no longer coming in once youre gone. Basic SBP is already in place and kicks in automatically upon your death, but the highest benefit your spouse will get is 55 percent of your retirement pay. Your spouse will have to pay income taxes based on the rules that applied to the benefits when you were taking them.
Gi Bill Education Benefits
All versions of the GI Bill, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill, provide tax-free benefits for higher education, including undergraduate and postgraduate study as well as vocational training. You dont have to report these benefits as income on your tax return.
If you qualify, you can claim tax credits such as the Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Credit Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Credit in addition to using the applicable GI Bill for education expenses. Note that if you do, your credit will be reduced for any money the GI Bill contributes toward your tuition and fees. For example, if your tuition bill is $5,000 one year, and the GI Bill pays for $4,000 of it, your credit would be based on the $1,000 you paid yourself.
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When Does Disability Count As Income For Va
Does veterans disability count as income? Veterans disability compensation is counted as income in certain scenarios. If you are applying for VA benefits and your spouse receives VA disability, for example, that disability compensation is considered countable income for your household. Does Social Security count as income for VA health benefits?
Federal Tax Exclusions For Current Service Members
Different income tax rules apply to active-duty members. To properly pay your taxes as a current member, you’ll need to understand not only what types of pay and allowances you must include in your gross income, but also what types of items you can exclude. Keep in mind that although items may be excluded and nontaxable, the IRS may still require you to disclose them in your tax return. Current service members can separate their nontaxable items into these categories:
- Pay
- In-kind military benefits
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Programs For Homeless Veterans
VA’s specialized programs for homeless Veterans serve hundreds of thousands of homeless and at-risk Veterans each year. Independently and in collaboration with federal and community partners, VA programs provide Veterans with housing solutions, employment opportunities, health care, justice- and reentry-related services and more. Learn more about these programs at VA Programs for At-Risk Veterans and Their Families.
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless can call or visit their local VA Medical Center or Community Resource and Referral Center where VA staff are ready to help. Many CRRCs offer free tax preparation services. VA and other organizations work together through neighborhood Stand Downs to help Veterans who are homeless. The IRS attends many Stand Down events and provide services such as help with IRS letters, notices and levies on wages or bank accounts as well as free tax preparation. Also, the Taxpayer Advocate Service often attends to ensure that every Veteran is treated fairly.
Taxability Of Military Retirement Pay
Military retirement pay based on age or length of service is taxable and must be included as income for Federal income taxes. The amount of your pay that is deducted for the Survivors Benefit Plan is excluded from taxable income. For Social Security tax purposes, military retirement pay is not considered earned income and no Social Security is withheld.
Military Disability Retirement Pay shouldn’t be included in taxable income if your disability or injury was caused by combat or if you get military disability instead of VA disability for your injuries.
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Veterans Disability And Taxes
If you are a veteran receiving disability benefits, you may need clarification on filing federal va disability income tax. Common questions arise about what to claim, where to claim it on the forms and whether you have to file at all. Each persons circumstances vary, and consequently, answers can vary.
Here are three recommendations weve learned about filing for taxes in our experience working with veterans:
If The Number Of People You Live With Changes
You have to tell the SSA if someone moves into or out of yourhouse, or if you start living in someone else’s home or move out ofsomeone else’s home. Any time there is a change in the number of peoplewho live with you, you must report it to the SSA, including if someoneyou live with dies or if someone you live with has a baby who will alsolive with you. You need to report this information because it can affecthow much “in-kind” income you have.
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Housing Grant Tax Status
Have you received a VA grant to purchase or modify a home because of a disability such as blindness, severe burns or the loss of your arm, leg or lower extremities? The VA operates two housing programs the Specially Adapted Housing and the Special Housing Adaptation grants to assist veterans with qualifying disabilities. Housing grants through these programs are nontaxable.
Through these two programs, some disabled veterans with permanent and total service-connected disabilities receive grants to purchase or construct adapted homes that will enable them to live more independent lives. Disabled veterans may use the grants to modify their existing houses to accommodate their disabilities. For instance, if your disability requires you to use a wheelchair, a housing grant that allows you to purchase a house adapted for wheelchair living may be nontaxable. In certain situations, you may use the grants to pay down a mortgage loan on a house that’s already been adapted but was purchased without the VA’s financial assistance. The bottom line is that if you received grant funds from the VA to purchase an adapted home or modify your existing home to accommodate your disability, you can exclude that grant money from your income.
How Is Tax Withheld On Disability Benefits
Whether your disability income comes from the SSA or an insurance policy, you can ask to have federal income taxes withheld.
For SSDI, you can ask the SSA to withhold taxes when you first apply, or by completing Form W-4V and selecting a withholding rate of 7%, 10%, 12% or 22%. If you receive disability benefits from an insurance company, you can ask the company to withhold federal income tax by filling out Form W-4S.
Having tax withheld from your monthly payment may help you avoid a tax bill come Tax Day. Just remember, though, if you overpay your taxes, filing a return will be the only way to get your overpayments refunded to you, unless you decide to take the overpayment as a credit toward future tax obligations.
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What You Need To Register For Ebenefits
To properly register with the eBenefits system and obtain your official DS Logon account, you’ll need to already be enrolled in the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System . DEERS is a computerized database containing personal and eligibility information on service members and their eligible family members. Active duty and retired service members are registered in DEERS automatically. You may find that you need to update your personal information, and you can do that on the website. If you find that you are not enrolled in DEERS, you must correct the error and update your information before you can proceed.
With your DEERS enrollment, you can obtain your DS Logon account in one of three ways:
- Online through the eBenefits website.
- In person through a VA regional office. Bring your two I-9 identity documents. Once your identity has been verified, you’ll receive an activation letter via U.S. mail typically within 12 business days. Use the information in this letter to activate your account online.
What If I Receive Va Disability Benefits But Also Work
VA disability benefits are still tax-free, even if the veteran is working. Employment does not affect the tax treatment of a veterans benefits. So long as VA pays and administers the veterans disability benefits, the veteran does not have to pay taxes on them. It should be noted, however, that the veteran still must pay taxes on their regular income, regardless of their VA disability benefits.
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Will Va Benefits Reduce My Unemployment
Another question many veterans have about their benefits is whether unemployment benefits are reduced or otherwise impacted by VA benefits.
The answer is that disability compensation payments from the VA do not reduce the amount of your unemployment benefits. Veterans can receive full unemployment compensation along with full disability payments from the VA.
Va Ask A Queseion For The Veterans Affairs
There are some circumstances under which VA benefits do count as income. This is not an exhaustive list, and you should always check your states laws and regulations, but some common examples include:
Calculating income for child support and alimony. VA disability payments count as income for purposes of calculating child support and maintenance. The fact that theyre tax-free payments means theyre invisible to the IRS, but theyre not invisible to other agencies or for other purposes.
Calculating income for food stamps . Under federal law, all income is counted to determine eligibility for SNAP unless its explicitly excluded. For SNAP purposes, income includes both earned income such as wages, and unearned income such as Supplemental Security Income and veteran disability and death benefits. Because veteran disability benefits are not explicitly excluded, they are counted when determining a households eligibility for SNAP.
Obtaining a mortgage. VA lenders can count disability income when calculating income toward a mortgage. Borrowers with a service-connected disability are exempt from paying the VA Funding Fee, a mandatory cost the VA applies to every purchase and refinance loan to help cover losses and ensure the programs continued success.
Veterans who dont want to complete the financial worksheet must agree to pay a copayment to the VA for services.
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Principal Place Of Residence
In order for property to qualify for the Disabled Veterans’ Exemption, the property must be used as the claimant’s principal place of residence. The property may be owned by the veteran, the veteran’s spouse, or the veteran and spouse jointly. If two or more qualified claimants own a property in which they both reside, each claimant is entitled to the Disabled Veterans’ Exemption to the extent of his or her interest in the property.
The one exception to the requirement that the property be the claimant’s principal place of residence is when the claimant is confined to a hospital or other care facility, and the property would be the claimant’s principal place of residence were it not for their confinement, provided that the property is not rented or leased to another party.
For property tax purposes, the definition of a principal place of residence closely parallels the legal doctrine of domicile. Under this doctrine, a person’s domicile depends on two factors: physical presence and intention. The combination of both factors will be used by the county assessor to make the final determination of a claimant’s primary residence.
Physical presence may be considered to have been established at the place where:
When considering whether or not physical presence has been established, the assessor should consider these elements as a whole. It is not required that all of these elements apply in order for physical presence to be established.
It’s Time To Get The Benefits You Deserve
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What If Your Disability Rating Increases
You may be eligible to file for a federal tax refund if the VA increases the percentage of your disability rating. This situation also applies to retroactive disability benefits rating determinations. Another instance when you may be eligible for a federal tax refund is when you receive Combat-Related Special Compensation after receiving an award for Concurrent Retirement and Disability. The IRS requires you to file an amended tax return in either case.
When filing your amended tax return, be sure to use IRS Form 1040X titled Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The IRS will use this form to correct a previously submitted Form
1040, Form 1040A, or Form 1040EZ. You will need to send your amended tax return form to the IRS by mail since it does not accept this form electronically. Be sure to include all VA documents along with anything you received from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to explain your reason for filing the amended tax return.
You would not need to file Form 1040X if the Defense Finance and Accounting Service sent you Form 1099-R that indicates the correct taxable portion of your income. Receipt of this form means that adjustments for non-taxable awards have already occurred.
Am I Entitled To Other Tax
In addition to the disability benefits listed above, veterans and their loved ones may be eligible for the following tax-free benefits:
- Dependency and Indemnity CompensationThis is available if you are the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness.
- Special Monthly Compensation This is additional compensation that helps cover certain disabilities such as the loss of sight, loss of a limb, or need for regular aid and attendance due to a service-connected disability.
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Tip #: Take Advantage Of Free Tax Services
There are plenty of resources that provide free tax filing services to veterans. Some of the best tax software on the market also include tools to help veterans claim eligible tax benefits. The IRS website also links to several tax services that veterans and other taxpayers can take advantage of. As a veteran, you may qualify for free financial coaching. You may also qualify for free tax preparation services through The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and you can file income taxes for free through the IRS website using their free tax filing software.
Is The Income From A Va Pension Taxable
VA Pension and Income. VA pensions, which are administered based on years of service, are considered taxable income. Also, be careful not to confuse VA benefits with other disability payments, such as Social Security disability benefits, which are sometimes taxable if you earn income in addition to your monthly disability benefit amount.
Are Veterans Disability Benefits Taxable? Veterans disability benefits are not taxable, according to IRS Publication 907. What Counts as Veterans Disability Benefits?
The Form 1099-R that veterans receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs usually has the correct amount to claim on your federal income taxes, with appropriate items included and excluded. U.S. military service awards some IRS exemptions.
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