State file · IA
Veteran benefits in Iowa
Iowa exempts military retirement pay from state income tax, offers a 100% property tax credit for eligible disabled veterans, and sells lifetime hunting and fishing licenses to disabled resident veterans for $7. Here's the landscape, category by category.
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Financial benefits
Military retirement pay not taxed
Legislation enacted in 2014 exempts federal retirement pay received for military service — and military survivor benefits under 10 U.S.C. 1447, including SBP, RCSBP, and RSFPP payments — from Iowa individual income tax.
DIC not taxed
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of service members who died in the line of duty or whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease.
Military property tax exemption
Reduces a veteran's assessed home value by $1,852. Eligibility requires active duty service during a period of war or a minimum of 18 months of peacetime service.
Disabled veteran homestead tax credit
Iowa offers a 100% property tax credit to eligible veterans and certain dependents, limited to a half acre where the home and buildings sit when inside city limits.
Sales tax picture
Statewide sales tax is 6.0%, with county additions of up to 1.0%; the combined average is roughly 6.97%.
Recreation
Lifetime hunting & fishing license
Iowa resident veterans with at least a 0% VA disability rating can get a lifetime hunting or fishing license for $7.00.
Education programs
National Guard tuition benefits
The Iowa National Guard Educational Assistance Program provides annual awards, capped at the average resident tuition rate at Iowa Regent Universities, to Guard members attending eligible Iowa colleges. Members in good standing are eligible for up to $2,700 per semester for full-time enrollment, or $196 per semester hour part-time.
War Orphans Tuition Assistance
Tuition assistance for children of veterans who died before September 11, 2011 — defined as children of veterans who died during active federal military service in the Armed Forces or the Iowa National Guard.
Interstate compact for military children
Iowa participates in the interstate compact that removes enrollment barriers, eases educational record transfers, and prevents disadvantages caused by military moves.
Veteran housing
Iowa Veterans Home
The state veterans home at Marshalltown serves honorably discharged veterans; spouses, surviving spouses, and Gold Star parents are also eligible, with monthly costs based on the veteran's need.
Employment & job training
Examination score preference
Honorably discharged veterans get 5 percentage points added to qualifying examination scores for jobs with the state, public works, counties, cities, and schools.
State employee military leave
State employees are granted 30 days of paid military leave per calendar year.
Home Base Iowa Program
A non-profit, private-public partnership that recruits veterans and active duty service members for private-sector job opportunities in Iowa; veterans employment centers within Regional Workforce Development Centers also offer job placement and training coordination.
USERRA protections
Federal law protects the civilian job rights and benefits of veterans and members of Reserve components returning from duty.
Burials & memorials
National cemeteries in Iowa
Iowa's national cemetery sites are Keokuk National Cemetery and the Oakdale Cemetery Soldiers' Lot in Davenport. Honorably discharged veterans are interred at no charge; spouses and dependents are buried for a $300 fee.
VA resources in Iowa
Des Moines Regional Benefits Office
The VA regional office serving Iowa for benefits claims and questions.
Official siteVA Central Iowa Health Care System
VA medical care for central Iowa, based in Des Moines.
Official siteBefore you apply
- First-time applicants generally need a copy of their DD-214 or discharge paperwork — keep certified copies somewhere safe.
- Most programs require a discharge under other than dishonorable conditions; a dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge may bar eligibility.
- “Active service” has a specific definition for many programs — training periods don’t always count. When in doubt, ask the agency directly.
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