Are you in the military and thinking about retiring in Virginia?

In this episode of Give, Work, Play, I'm going to talk about some of the top veteran benefits when staying in or moving to Virginia. We’ll look at everything from tax breaks to military discounts so you can decide if Virginia is the right place for you.

VIDEO TIME STAMPS

00:24 Fun Veteran Fact
00:45 Taxes & Tax Breaks
1:25 Other Benefits for Veterans
1:45 The Job Market for Veterans in Virginia
2:12 Military Survivors & Dependents Program
2:38 Free Hunting License & Other Recreation Discounts
3:38 Bonus Tip

Veteran-Friendly Virginia

Did you know that in 2021, the state of Virginia was ranked #7 in the country for veteran population by state, with over 690,000 veteran residents? With such a large veteran population, it's no wonder that Virginia veterans’ benefits are so plentiful. Let's talk about a few of them.

Every state needs to make money to provide services. The only question is how. Is it income tax, personal property tax, or higher sales tax? When you're looking at where you're going to retire, keep in mind that you're always going to pay a tax in some way.

While military retirement is currently taxed in Virginia, overall, the tax burden for the military is lower here than in many other states. Plus, there are also a lot of other benefits to choosing to set down roots right here in the state of Virginia.

Tax Breaks

One tax break comes in the form of lower sales tax rates. Virginia's average combined state and local rate of tax is 5.75%, which is the 11th lowest in the nation. Other benefits of retiring in Virginia may include having your property taxes exempt if you're 100% disabled.

In addition, if you own one vehicle, you may have the ability to have your personal property taxes 100% exempt. For unmarried surviving spouses, they may also be eligible for these benefits. Make sure that you look a little bit further into this before making any purchases.

Jobs And Education

Another benefit of retiring in Virginia after serving in the military is that it has a great job market. For example, there are a lot of civilian contracting opportunities right here in our own backyard. Virginia does recognize those who've served in our military by offering employment preferences to the veterans and their family members when they apply for federal, state, county, and local government jobs.

Here in Virginia, veterans seeking state employment can possibly get an additional 5% added to their test score, while disabled veterans may receive an additional 10%. There's also a program called the Military Survivors and Dependents Program. This provides educational benefits to spouses and the children of military service members who've been killed, missing in action, taken prisoner, or who became at least 90% disabled as a result of military service in an armed conflict.

Additionally, this program may pay for tuition and fees in any state-supported college or university in the state of Virginia, with benefits available for up to 36 months.

Discounts On Recreation

Virginia also offers a free lifetime hunting and fishing license and a discounted saltwater license for Virginia resident veterans who are permanently and totally disabled. Veterans with at least a 70% disability can get discounted hunting and freshwater fishing licenses. Additionally, veterans with 100% VA disability are also eligible for free admission and parking in Virginia state parks.

The pass will also cover boat launch and horse trailer parking and a 50% discount on camping, swimming, shelters, and other equipment rentals. Virginia veterans with a 60% or greater VA disability rating are eligible for reduced fares on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority System; this discount is actually worth up to 50% on passes and fairs.

In addition, there are numerous VA hospitals in Virginia, making it a great place for health care. Be sure to check out the Virginia Department of Veterans Services—which administers many Virginia veteran benefits—for more excellent resources and additional information. And here's a bonus tip for you: in any place that you go for dining and shopping, make sure that you ask if they give a military discount. In many places here in the Northern Virginia area, there are military discounts in many locations that they may not necessarily be advertising, so make sure you ask.

Retiring To Virginia

I hope this gave you some further insight into what Virginia offers to our military retired community. If you're considering coming to this area to either work or retire, I would love the opportunity to have a conversation with you. Feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to connect.