State / Territory Benefits - District of Columbia
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Benefits
Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Facilities
Summary: The District of Columbia offers special benefits for its military Service members and Veterans including property tax exemptions, state employment preferences, education and tuition assistance, vehicle tags, as well as hunting and fishing license privileges. Eligibility for some benefits may depend on residency, military component and Veteran disability status.
District Benefit Highlights and Eligibility
Retired Military Pay: Up to $3,000 of military retirement pay is exempt for individual 62 or older. Survivor benefits are fully excluded.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total protection.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Not subject to federal or state taxes.
Property Tax Exemption (Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief): When a property owner turns 65 years of age or older, or when he or she is disabled, he or she may file an application immediately for disabled or senior citizen property tax relief. This benefit reduces a qualified property owner's property tax by 50 percent. If the property owner lives in a cooperative housing association, the cooperative will supply and collect the applications.
Eligibility: The following guidelines apply:
- The disabled or senior citizen must own 50 percent or more of the property or cooperative unit;
- The total adjusted gross income of everyone living in the property or cooperative unit, excluding tenants, must be less than $100,000 for the prior calendar year; and
- The same requirements for application, occupancy, ownership, principal residence (domicile), number of dwelling units, cooperative housing associations and revocable trusts apply as in the homestead deduction.
State Tuition Program: The DC National Guard Scholarship will reimburse members of the Army DC National Guard up to $6,000 per individual during any school year at an approved college, university or educational institution while monies are available.
Eligibility: DC Army National Guard member.
Leave Entitlements of Individuals with Prior Military Service Credibility of Military Time: A District government employee who is a military retiree is entitled to credit for active-military service only if the military retirement was based on disability resulting from injury or disease received in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict or caused by an instrumentality of war, and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war as defined in Title 38 of the United States Code.
(Military service other than described in the above paragraph is not credible for the purposes of this benefit.)
Employment Assistance: 5 U.S.C. 6323(c) provides unlimited military leave to members of the National Guard of the District of Columbia for certain types of duty ordered or authorized under Title 39 of the District of Columbia Code.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Employment Preference: Veterans preference credits are restricted to initial appointments with the District government, or new appointments following a break in service, except for reduction-in-force purposes. The District offers 5-point and 10-point Veteran preference based on eligibility.
Eligibility: A Veteran, whose service in the armed forces was for more than 180 consecutive days, beginning on or before October 14, 1976, or, if in time of war, beginning on or after October 15, 1976, and who was separated with an honorable or general discharge.
Department of Motor Vehicles Benefits:
Special Vehicle License Plates: None
Health and Insurance Benefits:
Medical Benefits: State Active Duty receives medical, dental and hospital benefits.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Group Insurance: State low-cost life and health insurance.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Worker's Compensation: DC National Guard members receive State worker's compensation.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Injury / Death benefits: Covered through State worker's compensation.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total protection.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Not subject to federal or state taxes.
Property Tax Exemption (Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief): When a property owner turns 65 years of age or older, or when he or she is disabled, he or she may file an application immediately for disabled or senior citizen property tax relief. This benefit reduces a qualified property owner's property tax by 50 percent. If the property owner lives in a cooperative housing association, the cooperative will supply and collect the applications.
Eligibility: The following guidelines apply:
- The disabled or senior citizen must own 50 percent or more of the property or cooperative unit;
- The total adjusted gross income of everyone living in the property or cooperative unit, excluding tenants, must be less than $100,000 for the prior calendar year; and
- The same requirements for application, occupancy, ownership, principal residence (domicile), number of dwelling units, cooperative housing associations and revocable trusts apply as in the homestead deduction.
Employment Preference: Veterans preference credits are restricted to initial appointments with the District government, or new appointments following a break in service, except for reduction-in-force purposes. The District offers 5-point and 10-point Veteran preference based on eligibility.
Eligibility: A Veteran, whose service in the armed forces was for more than 180 consecutive days, beginning on or before October 14, 1976, or, if in time of war, beginning on or after October 15, 1976, and who was separated with an honorable or general discharge.
Leave Entitlements of Individuals with Prior Military Service Credibility of Military Time: A District government employee who is a military retiree is entitled to credit for active-military service only if the military retirement was based on disability resulting from injury or disease received in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict or caused by an instrumentality of war, and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war as defined in Title 38 of the United States Code.
(Military service other than described in the above paragraph is not credible for the purposes of this benefit.)
Retired Military Pay: Up to $3,000 of military retirement pay is exempt for individual 62 or older. Survivor benefits are fully excluded.
Property Tax Exemption (Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief): When a property owner turns 65 years of age or older, or when he or she is disabled, he or she may file an application immediately for disabled or senior citizen property tax relief. This benefit reduces a qualified property owner's property tax by 50 percent. If the property owner lives in a cooperative housing association, the cooperative will supply and collect the applications.
Eligibility: The following guidelines apply:
- The disabled or senior citizen must own 50 percent or more of the property or cooperative unit;
- The total adjusted gross income of everyone living in the property or cooperative unit, excluding tenants, must be less than $100,000 for the prior calendar year; and
- The same requirements for application, occupancy, ownership, principal residence (domicile), number of dwelling units, cooperative housing associations and revocable trusts apply as in the homestead deduction.
Leave Entitlements of Individuals with Prior Military Service Credibility of Military Time: A District government employee who is a military retiree is entitled to credit for active-military service only if the military retirement was based on disability resulting from injury or disease received in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict or caused by an instrumentality of war, and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war as defined in Title 38 of the United States Code.
(Military service other than described in the above paragraph is not credible for the purposes of this benefit.)
State Tuition Program: The DC National Guard Scholarship will reimburse members of the Army DC National Guard up to $6,000 per individual during any school year at an approved college, university or educational institution while monies are available.
Eligibility: DC Army National Guard member.
Employment Assistance: 5 U.S.C. 6323(c) provides unlimited military leave to members of the National Guard of the District of Columbia for certain types of duty ordered or authorized under title 39 of the District of Columbia Code.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Employment Preference: Veterans preference credits are restricted to initial appointments with the District government, or new appointments following a break in service, except for reduction-in-force purposes. The District offers 5-point and 10-point Veteran preference based on eligibility.
Eligibility: A Veteran, whose service in the armed forces was for more than 180 consecutive days, beginning on or before October 14, 1976, or, if in time of war, beginning on or after October 15, 1976, and who was separated with an honorable or general discharge.
Medical Benefits: State Active Duty receives medical, dental and hospital benefits.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Group Insurance: State low-cost life and health insurance.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Worker's Compensation: DC National Guard members receive State worker's compensation.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Injury / Death benefits: Covered through State worker's compensation.
Eligibility: DC National Guard member.
Retired Military Pay: Up to $3,000 of military retirement pay is exempt for individual 62 or older. Survivor benefits are fully excluded.
Property Tax Exemption (Senior Citizen or Disabled Property Owner Tax Relief): When a property owner turns 65 years of age or older, or when he or she is disabled, he or she may file an application immediately for disabled or senior citizen property tax relief. This benefit reduces a qualified property owner's property tax by 50 percent. If the property owner lives in a cooperative housing association, the cooperative will supply and collect the applications.
Eligibility: The following guidelines apply:
- The disabled or senior citizen must own 50 percent or more of the property or cooperative unit;
- The total adjusted gross income of everyone living in the property or cooperative unit, excluding tenants, must be less than $100,000 for the prior calendar year; and
- The same requirements for application, occupancy, ownership, principal residence (domicile), number of dwelling units, cooperative housing associations and revocable trusts apply as in the homestead deduction.
Leave Entitlements of Individuals with Prior Military Service Credibility of Military Time: A District government employee who is a military retiree is entitled to credit for active-military service only if the military retirement was based on disability resulting from injury or disease received in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict or caused by an instrumentality of war, and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war as defined in Title 38 of the United States Code.
(Military service other than described in the above paragraph is not credible for the purposes of this benefit.)
Employment Preference: Veterans preference credits are restricted to initial appointments with the District government, or new appointments following a break in service, except for reduction-in-force purposes. The District offers 5-point and 10-point Veteran preference based on eligibility.
Eligibility: A Veteran, whose service in the armed forces was for more than 180 consecutive days, beginning on or before October 14, 1976, or, if in time of war, beginning on or after October 15, 1976, and who was separated with an honorable or general discharge.
Military Installations In The District Of Washington
Army
Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region/Military District of Washington: http://www.army.mil/institution/organization/unitsandcommands/commandstructure/mdw/
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington, DC: http://www.army.mil/jbmhh
Navy
Naval District Washington: http://www.navy.mil/local/ndw/
US Naval Observatory: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/about-us
Naval Research Laboratory: www.nrl.navy.mil
Air Force
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling: http://www.cnic.navy.mil/jbab/
Marine Corps
Henderson Hall, Washington, D.C.: http://www.mccshh.com/
National Guard:
District of Columbia National Guard Joint Force Headquarters: http://states.ng.mil/sites/dc/Pages/DCNationalGuard.aspx
District of Columbia Army National Guard: http://www.dcnationalguard.com/
District of Columbia Air National Guard: http://www.goang.com/State/District+Of+Columbia?ss=1
U.S. Army Reserve (USAR):
Regional Readiness Command (RRC) Headquarters, 99th RRC: http://www.usar.army.mil/ourstory/commands/99RSC/Pages/default.aspx
Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Facilities in the District of Columbia
VA Medical Center
Washington: Washington, DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving St. NW, 202-745-8000
Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Washington: Community Clinic-Southeast, 820 Chesapeake St, SE, 202-745-8685
Vet Center
Washington.: Washington DC Vet Center, 1250 Taylor St, NW, 202-726-5212 / 877-927-8387
Regional Office
Washington, D.C.: Washington D.C. Regional Office, 1722 I Street N.W. 800-827-1000
Intake Site
Bolling AFB: Boling Air Force Base
Washington: DC Coast Guard
Washington: Pentagon (Air Force)
Washington: Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Veterans Affairs Central Offices
Washington: Board of Contract Appeals
Washington: Board of Veterans' Appeals
Washington: Center for Minority Veterans
Washington: Center for Women Veterans
Washington: Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington: National Cemetery Administration
Washington: Office of Construction & Facilities Management
Washington: Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication
Washington: Office of General Counsel
Washington: Office of Inspector General
Washington: Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Washington: Special Assistant to the Secretary for Veterans Service Organizations Liaison
Washington: Veterans Benefits Administration
Washington: Veterans Health Administration
http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1
http://www.retirementliving.com/taxes-alabama-iowa#DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA
Document Review Date: 26 September 2012