Quick answer: Virginia exempts the primary residence of a veteran rated 100 percent permanently and totally disabled (or paid at the 100 percent rate for individual unemployability) from all local real estate tax, on the house and up to one acre, under Va. Code § 58.1-3219.5. In Fairfax County that is worth about $8,600 a year on a $750,000 home; in Loudoun about $6,000 on the same price. The exemption passes to a surviving spouse who does not remarry, and since 2019 the spouse can move within Virginia and keep it. One vehicle is exempt from personal property tax too. I’m David Mount, a REALTOR with The Redux Group of eXp Realty, a Veterans United preferred agent, and a Military Relocation Professional. I build the exemption into the offer math for my disabled veteran buyers, because a $700 a month tax payment that disappears is the difference between a townhouse and a single-family home. Call or text me at 571-946-8418 and I will run your numbers.
Last reviewed and updated: October 22, 2026
Who qualifies for the Virginia disabled veteran property tax exemption
- A veteran with a VA rating of 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability, or a lower rating paid at the 100 percent rate for individual unemployability.
- The home must be the veteran’s principal residence. The exemption covers the dwelling and up to one acre (localities may extend it to more land).
- Jointly owned with a spouse is fine. Owned in a revocable trust is fine in most localities; ask before closing.
- The surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran keeps the exemption as long as they do not remarry and the home remains their principal residence. Since July 1, 2019, the spouse may sell and move to another principal residence in Virginia and keep it.
What the exemption is worth, county by county
Real estate tax rates for 2026, applied to a $750,000 home. Your own number is the assessed value times the rate.
| Locality | 2026 rate per $100 | Annual tax on $750,000 | Monthly, in the mortgage payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | $1.12 plus $0.0325 stormwater | about $8,640 | about $720 |
| Fairfax City | $1.15 | about $8,630 | about $720 |
| Arlington County | $1.033 | about $7,750 | about $645 |
| City of Alexandria | $1.135 | about $8,510 | about $710 |
| Prince William County | $0.9805 plus fire levy | about $7,350 plus levy | about $615 |
| Loudoun County | $0.805 | about $6,040 | about $505 |
Those monthly figures are what a lender adds to your payment as escrow. Remove them and a VA loan at the same payment buys roughly $90,000 to $110,000 more house at 2026 rates. That is why I run the exemption before we set a search price, not after.
How to apply (and how to get it approved before you close)
- Get your VA Summary of Benefits Letter showing the 100 percent permanent and total rating. Do not send the decision letter; it contains medical detail the county does not need.
- Fairfax County: apply online through the Department of Tax Administration’s tax relief office, or email taxrelief@fairfaxcounty.gov for a pre-certificate before you buy. That pre-certificate lets your lender drop the tax escrow from day one.
- Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, Alexandria: each Commissioner of the Revenue or tax office has its own one-page form; the proof required is the same letter.
- Timing: the exemption applies from the date you qualify and occupy, prorated in the first year. Apply the week you close.
- Moving within Virginia: ask the old locality for a letter showing when their exemption ended, and file it with the new application.
Three things the exemption does not do
- It does not cover HOA dues, and it does not cover a second home or a rental.
- It does not pass to children or other heirs, only to a surviving spouse who does not remarry.
- It does not change the VA funding fee. That is a separate benefit: veterans receiving disability compensation are exempt from the funding fee, which on a $700,000 first-use zero-down VA loan is $15,050 you do not pay. My BAH home price calculator shows both effects.
Rated 100 percent and buying in Northern Virginia?
Call or text me at 571-946-8418. I will run the exemption and the funding fee waiver into your real purchasing power before you look at a single house.
Veterans United preferred agent. Military Relocation Professional. Step-father served in Army Special Forces. 100+ five-star reviews.
Veteran buyers I have helped in Northern Virginia
- Stratford Landing, Alexandria, 2026. Cary L., a military veteran, beat multiple offers on a $1,205,000 home in the Fort Hunt corridor.
- Mount Zephyr, Alexandria, 2026. Nick and Nicholle Martinez, active duty, bought an $850,000 single-family home after living on post at Fort Belvoir.
- Ravenwood Park, Falls Church, 2024. Marci A., a veteran, bought off market at $918,000.
- Stuarts Crossing, Centreville, 2020. George N., retiring after 28 years in uniform, wrote his offer inside a 48-hour visit and closed at $1,125,000 with a VA loan.
- Bent Tree, Burke, 2024. A VA-loan buyer won against seven offers at $705,000.
More veteran reviews and stories are on the military buyer page and the base pages for Fort Belvoir, Quantico, and the Pentagon.
Have your rating letter? Text me and we will start with the math.
571-946-8418. The exemption is worth $500 to $720 a month here. It belongs in the plan from day one.
Frequently asked questions about the disabled veteran exemption
Does Virginia waive property tax for disabled veterans?
Yes. Under Va. Code § 58.1-3219.5, a veteran rated 100 percent permanently and totally disabled (or paid at that rate for individual unemployability) pays no local real estate tax on their principal residence and up to one acre.
How much is the disabled veteran exemption worth in Fairfax County?
At the 2026 rate of $1.12 per $100 plus the stormwater fee, about $8,640 a year on a $750,000 home, or roughly $720 a month that no longer sits in your mortgage escrow.
Does a 90 percent rating qualify?
Only if the VA pays you at the 100 percent rate for individual unemployability. Otherwise the exemption requires a 100 percent permanent and total rating.
Does the surviving spouse keep the exemption?
Yes, as long as the spouse does not remarry and the home remains their principal residence. Since 2019 the spouse may move to another Virginia home and keep it. It does not pass to other heirs.
Can I get the exemption approved before I close on a house?
In Fairfax County, yes. Email the tax relief office with your Summary of Benefits Letter for a pre-certificate, and your lender can leave the tax out of escrow from the first payment.
Is the exemption the same as the VA funding fee waiver?
No. They are separate. Veterans receiving disability compensation are also exempt from the VA funding fee, which saves 2.15 percent of the loan on a first-use zero-down purchase.
Does it cover a townhouse with HOA dues?
It covers the real estate tax on a townhouse or single-family home. It does not cover HOA dues, which are not a tax.
Have you worked with disabled veteran buyers?
I have represented many veteran and active-duty buyers across Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun as a Veterans United preferred agent, and I build the exemption and funding fee waiver into the purchase math from the first conversation.
Still have questions? Call or text me at 571-946-8418.
Or leave your name and number in the form just below and I will text you back.
I read every message myself and reply by call or text.
David Mount, REALTOR, CPRES, MRP
The Redux Group of eXp Realty
NVAR Platinum Top Producer
Sources
- Va. Code § 58.1-3219.5, Exemption from taxes on property for disabled veterans
- Va. Code Title 58.1, Chapter 32, Article 2.3 (including surviving spouse provisions)
- Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration, Real estate tax relief for disabled veterans and surviving spouses
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA funding fee and exemptions