The State-by-State Veteran Benefits Guide: by Andy Kurien

Your federal VA rating is only half of what you actually earned.

Property tax exemptions, income tax treatment, vehicle registration discounts, and education benefits for dependents aren't run by the VA at all. They're run by your state, and sometimes your county, and most veterans never claim them, not because they don't qualify, but because nobody ever told them these programs existed.

Written by a Navy veteran and former VA Community Care specialist, this guide walks you through exactly what your state owes you, and how to actually get it.

Inside this guide, you'll find:

• The five categories of state veteran benefits, and how each one typically works
• How to conduct your own local audit, step by step, from your first phone call to the county assessor
• Working profiles for all 50 states: the correct agency to contact, the property tax model your state follows, and the income tax treatment of military retirement pay
• A dedicated chapter on surviving spouse and dependent benefits at the state level
• Guidance on weighing state benefits if you're deciding where to retire
• A repeatable local audit checklist, a glossary of terms, and a sample script for calling your county assessor

This isn't a book of numbers that will be outdated by the time you read it. State benefit programs change with nearly every legislative session, so instead of printing dollar figures that go stale, this guide teaches you the pattern each program follows and gives you the exact office to call for the current, correct number.

About the Author

Andy Kurien is a U.S. Navy veteran and former VA Community Care specialist. He is also the author of The Veteran Roadmap: The Complete Guide to VA Benefits and Resources and The C&P Exam Survival Guide.

This guide is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the VA or any state government. It is for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice.