Veterans & Military · Surprise rank #226
Pay $0 in Property Tax With NY’s Full Disabled-Veteran Exemption!
New York created a full property-tax exemption for eligible veterans with a VA permanent and total service-connected disability, and a 2026 amendment made the exemption mandatory statewide.
Who
Eligible veterans considered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a permanent and total disability resulting from military service, subject to the ownership, residence and application rules.
What to do
Start here: Contact your local assessor now, confirm your taxable-status date and ask when the new RPTL 458-a(11) application and supporting-document requirements will be accepted.
Eligibility: The veteran must meet the new permanent-and-total service-connected disability criteria and the property/application requirements that New York and local assessors implement.
What you get
RPTL 458-a(11) creates a full property-tax exemption for the qualifying primary residence of an eligible veteran with a permanent and total service-connected disability under the new statutory rules.
Benefit: A full qualifying property-tax exemption under RPTL 458-a(11), beginning with assessment rolls based on taxable status dates on or after October 1, 2026.
Possible value: Potentially very large annual property-tax savings; the exact amount depends on the qualifying property and taxes covered by the statute.
Good to know
Important: The exemption is not automatic. The Tax Department says an initial application must be filed with the assessor, and the new exemption first applies to assessment rolls based on taxable status dates on or after October 1, 2026—not necessarily to a tax bill issued that day.
Availability: Mandatory statewide for qualifying assessment rolls based on taxable status dates on or after October 1, 2026.
Status: local option; first applies to qualifying assessment rolls on/after Oct. 1, 2026
Why people miss it: Early versions of the law were described as a local option, but Chapter 77 of the Laws of 2026 removed that local option and made the new exemption mandatory for municipalities.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026