Territory Taxes
Education Benefits
Employment Benefits
Motor Vehicle Division Benefits
Health Insurance Benefits
Parks and Recreation Benefits
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Facilities in American Samoa
Resources
Summary of American Samoa Military and Veterans Benefits: American Samoa offers special benefits for service members, Veterans and their families including territory Veteran hiring preference, military service credit for leave, and paid leave for reserve component service members. Eligibility for some benefits may depend on residency, military component, and Veteran disability status.
American Samoa Office of Veterans and Military Affairs: The American Samoa Office of Veterans and Military Affairs was established to assist servicemembers, Veterans and their families through advocacy and helping them find and apply for military and Veterans benefits under federal and territorial laws. All their services are provided free of charge. For more information, please call 684-699-2910.
American Samoa Office of Veterans and Military Affairs Webpage
American Samoa Office of Veterans and Military Affairs Online Contact Webpage
Learn more about American Samoa Office of Veterans and Military Affairs
American Samoa Military and Veterans Benefit Highlights and Eligibility
What are my American Samoa Military and Veterans Tax Benefits?
American Samoa Income Taxes: Residents of American Samoa, instead of filing returns and paying taxes to the IRS, file returns and pay income taxes directly to the American Samoa Tax Office. American Samoa generally follows U.S. Internal Revenue Code but there are some differences. For more information, please contact the American Samoa Tax Office:
Executive Office Building
Pago Pago, AS 96799
Phone: 684-633-4181
IRS Publication 570, Tax Guide for Individuals With Income From U.S. Possessions
IRS Taxable and Nontaxable income
IRS Publications
Learn more about American Samoa Income Taxes
American Samoa Taxes on Military Pay: Military pay is taxable in American Samoa.
Learn more about American Samoa Taxes on Military Pay
American Samoa Taxes on Military Retired Pay: Military retired pay is taxable in American Samoa.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) does not withhold taxes for state or local income tax, but it is reported annually on IRS Form 1099-R. All TSP distributions are subject to taxes and early distributions may incur higher taxes.
Learn more about American Samoa Taxes on Military Retired Pay
American Samoa Taxes on Military Disability Retirement Pay: Military disability retirement pay received as a pension, annuity or similar allowance for personal injury or sickness resulting from active service in the U.S. Armed Forces should not be included in taxable income. Some of the payments which are considered disability benefits include:
- Disability compensation and pension payments for disabilities paid to Veterans or their families
- Grants for homes designed for wheelchair living
- Grants for motor vehicles for Veterans who lost their sight or the use of limbs, or
- Benefits under a dependent-care assistance program
See IRS Publication 525 for more information.
Learn more about American Samoa Taxes on Military Disability Retirement Pay
American Samoa Taxes on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Disability Dependency, and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): DIC is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of a service member who died in the line of duty or eligible survivors of a Veteran whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or disease.
American Samoa Taxes on Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP), and Retired Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) Annuities: SBP, RCSBP and RSFPP annuity payments are taxable in American Samoa.
What are my American Samoa Military and Veterans Education Benefits?
American Samoa does not currently have any territorial education programs for service members or Veterans. All VA Education Programs
and service member education benefits are available to eligible service members, Veterans, and dependents.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education and Training Programs
U.S. Army Education and Training Information
What are my American Samoa Military and Veterans Employment Benefits?
American Samoa Government Employee Leave Accrual Benefit for Veterans: American Samoa territorial government employees who are Veterans and served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces may be eligible to accrue leave at a faster rate based on their years of military service.
All territorial government employees accrue leave at the following rate:
- Less than three years of employment accrues four hours for each full bi-weekly pay period
- At least three but less than 15 years of employment accrues six hours for each full bi-weekly pay period
- 15 years or more of employment accrues eight hours for each full bi-weekly pay period
Veterans who are territorial employees can include all the time spent serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces in addition to all time spent as a government career service employee when calculating their leave. Veterans who retired from the U.S. Armed Forces are not eligible for this benefit with the following exceptions:
- Retired from the U.S. Armed Forces due to a disability, injury, or disease they received in line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict, or by an instrumentality of war during a period of war
- For time served in the U.S. Armed Forces during any war, or a campaign or expedition when a campaign badge was authorized
Employees cannot accrue more than 60 days of leave per year.
Learn more about American Samoa Government Employee Leave Accrual Benefit for Veterans
American Samoa Government Employment Veteran Hiring Preference: American Samoa offers a hiring preference for territorial government employment for Veterans, disabled Veterans and surviving spouses.
Preference is given by adding points to examination scores used for open competitive examinations. Preference is not allowed for promotional examinations. Veterans and surviving spouses are authorized five points added to their score; disabled Veterans are authorized 10 points added to their score.
Who is eligible for American Samoa Government Employment Veteran Hiring Preferences? The following individuals are eligible for hiring preference:
- Veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for 180 consecutive days (other than for training) and received an honorable discharge
- Veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, received an honorable discharge, and has a service-connected disability rating from the VA or their branch of service
- Surviving spouse of an eligible Veteran
American Samoa Code Annotated Chapter 2 - 7.0202
Learn more about American Samoa Government Employment Veteran Hiring Preferences
Return to American Samoa Career Service Position After Military Service: American Samoa career service employees who leave their government employment to serve on active or reserve duty in the U.S. Armed Forces must be restored to their career service position after their military service. Employees must return to government employment within 120 days after they receive an honorable discharge.
Learn more about Return to American Samoa Career Service Position After Military Service
American Samoa Government Employee Leave for Military Duty: American Samoa government employees who are serving in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible for 15 days paid military leave each fiscal year for military duty.
Who is eligible for American Samoa Government Employee Leave for Military Duty? American Samoa government employees who are service members serving in the National Guard or U.S. Armed Forces Reserves are eligible for military leave.
Learn more about American Samoa Government Employee Leave for Military Duty
Federal Employment Veteran’s Hiring Preferences: By Federal law, Veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over non-Veterans in hiring into the Federal civil service and in retention during reduction in force. Veterans may be entitled to 5 or 10 points included in any scoring process for examination or interviews.
5-point Hiring Preference: Five points are added to the examination score or rating of a Veteran who served:
- During a war, or
- During the period April 28, 1952, through July 1, 1955, or
- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976, or
- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992, or
- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on August 31, 2010, the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom, or
- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti, qualifies for preference
10-point Compensable Disability (CP) Preference: Ten points are added to the examination score or rating of a Veteran who served at any time and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of at least 10% but less than 30% .
10-Point 30% Compensable Disability Preference (CPS): Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a Veteran who served at any time and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of 30% or more.
10-Point Disability Preference (XP): Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of:
- A Veteran who served at any time and has a present service-connected disability or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the VA but does not qualify as a CP or CPS, or
- A Veteran who received a Purple Heart
10-Point Derived Preference (XP): Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of spouses, surviving spouses, or mothers of Veterans. Both a mother and a spouse (including surviving spouse) may be entitled to preference based on the same Veteran's service if they both meet the requirements. However, neither may receive preference if the Veteran is living and is qualified for Federal employment.
Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of the spouse of a disabled Veteran who is disqualified for a federal position along the general lines of their usual occupation because of a service-connected disability. Such a disqualification may be presumed when the Veteran is unemployed and:
- Is rated by appropriate military or VA authorities to be 100% disabled and/or unemployable, or
- Has retired, been separated, or resigned from a civil service position because of a disability that is service-connected in origin, or
- Has attempted to obtain a civil service position or other position along the lines of their usual occupation and has failed to qualify because of a service-connected disability
Preference may be allowed in other circumstances but anything less than the above warrants a more careful analysis.
A campaign medal holder or Gulf War Veteran who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980, (or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and has not previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty. The 24-month service requirement does not apply to 10-point preference eligible Veterans separated for disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, or to Veterans separated for hardship or other reasons under Title 10 U.S.C. 1171 or 1173.
Learn more about Federal Employment Veterans’ Hiring Preferences
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA): USERRA protects civilian job rights and benefits for Veterans and members of reserve components. USERRA also protects service member rights and benefits by clarifying the law, improving enforcement mechanisms, and adding Federal Government employees to those employees already eligible to receive Department of Labor assistance in processing claims.
Absence from Work for Military Duty: USERRA establishes the cumulative length of time that an individual may be absent from 
work for military duty and retain reemployment rights to five years. Exceptions to the five-year limit, include initial enlistments lasting more than five years, periodic National Guard and U.S. Armed Forces Reserve training duty, and involuntary active duty extensions and recalls, especially during a time of national emergency. USERRA establishes that reemployment protection does not depend on the timing, frequency, duration, or nature of an individual's service if the basic eligibility criteria are met.
Disability Accommodation: USERRA provides protection for disabled Veterans, requiring employers to make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability. Service members recovering from injuries received during service or training may have up to two years from the date of completion of service to return to their jobs or apply for reemployment.
Return to Work without Loss of Seniority: USERRA provides that returning service members are reemployed in the job that they would have attained had they not been absent for military service, with the same seniority, status and pay, as well as other rights and benefits determined by seniority. USERRA also requires that reasonable efforts (such as training or retraining) be made to enable returning service members to refresh or upgrade their skills to help them qualify for re-employment. USERRA also provides that while an individual is performing military service, they are deemed to be on furlough or leave of absence and are entitled to the non-seniority rights accorded to other individuals on non-military leaves of absence.
Extension of Health and Pension Plans: Health and pension plan coverage for service members is provided for by USERRA. Individuals performing military duty of more than 30 days may elect to continue employer sponsored health care for up to 24 months; however, they may be required to pay up to 102% of the full premium. For military service of less than 31 days, health care coverage is provided as if the service member had remained employed. USERRA clarifies pension plan coverage by making explicit that all pension plans are protected.
Who is eligible for USERRA Benefits? Veterans, U.S. Armed Forces Reserve or National Guard service members who leave a position for training or active military service are eligible.
The Department of Labor, through the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) helps all who have claims under USERRA, including federal and Postal Service employees.
VETS Regional Office Locations
Learn more about the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
What are my American Samoa Military and Veterans Office of Motor Vehicles Benefits?
There are no military or Veteran specific benefits offered through the American Samoa Department of Public Safety, Office of Motor Vehicles. For more information, please call 684-633-1111.
American Samoa Government Agency Directory
What are my American Samoa Military and Veterans Health and Insurance Benefits?
TRICARE Reserve Select Health Insurance: TRICARE Reserve Select is a premium-based plan, available worldwide for Selected Reserve, (U.S. Armed Forces Reserve and National Guard service members) and their families who meet the following 
qualifications:
- Not on active duty orders
- Not covered under the Transitional Assistance Management Program
- Not eligible for or enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program or currently covered under FEHB, either under their own eligibility or through a family member
This plan provides comprehensive health care coverage when a service member is not on active duty and covered by active duty TRICARE benefits.
Learn more about TRICARE Reserve Select Health Insurance
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Life Insurance: The VA provides valuable life insurance benefits to Veterans, active and reserve component service members, and their families to provide financial security given the extraordinary risks involved in military Service. The VA provides the following life insurance benefit programs:
- Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)
- Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI)
- Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI)
- Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection Program (TSGLI)
- Service-Disabled Veterans’ Life Insurance (S-DVI)
- Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI)
Learn more about U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Life Insurance
What are my American Samoa Military and Veterans Parks and Recreation Benefits?
There are no military or Veteran specific benefits offered through the American Samoa Department of Parks and Recreation. For more information, please call 684-699-9513.
American Samoa Government Agency Directory
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities in American Samoa
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities in American Samoa: The VA has numerous resources available for Veterans and family members. Please 
enter your location and the type of facility you are searching for to see a listing of the nearest options.
Learn more about U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities in American Samoa
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Cemeteries in American Samoa: The VA National Cemetery Administration does not maintain any cemeteries in American Samoa. The nearest 
Veteran cemeteries are the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Veterans Cemetery.
Learn more about U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Cemeteries
Military Installations in American Samoa
Active Duty:
Army
There are no active duty Army installations in American Samoa.
National Guard:
American Samoa does not have a territorial National Guard
U.S. Army Reserve (USAR):
9th Mission Support Command
U.S. Army Reserve Unit Directory
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Education and Training
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Facility Directory
Government of American Samoa Directory
American Samoa Community College Veterans Information