Kansas Veterans Benefits

Refund of a portion of property tax paid on a Kansas resident veteran's home. Veteran must be a Kansas resident, honorably discharged, and have a VA service-connected disability rating of 50% or greater. NOT a direct exemption: the veteran pays the full property tax bill and then files Form K-40SVR with the Kansas Dept. of Revenue for a refund. Subject to a household income limit ($58,041 or less for 2025) and a home appraised-value cap ($350,000 in the base year). Surviving spouses may also qualify.

Under K.S.A. 79-32,121(b) (added by 2022 HB 2239, Notice 23-06), a veteran honorably discharged and certified by the VA to be in receipt of disability compensation at the 100% rate, where the disability is permanent and was sustained through military action/accident or resulted from disease contracted in active service, may claim an additional Kansas personal exemption. Statutory base amount $2,250 (tax year 2023+); the Dept. of Revenue lists $2,320 for tax year 2025. Claimed on Form K-40.

All retirement benefits for service in the U.S. Armed Forces are fully exempt from Kansas income tax. The benefit is included in federal AGI and then subtracted on Kansas Schedule S (Part A). No rating requirement; applies to all military retirees.

VA disability compensation is excluded from federal adjusted gross income, and because Kansas starts from federal AGI it is therefore not taxed by Kansas. Kansas statute/guidance does not specifically address it as a separate subtraction because it never enters AGI. Treatment confirmed indirectly; Kansas provides a separate additional exemption for 100%-rated veterans (see above).

All veterans eligible for federal education benefits and all current members of the U.S. Armed Forces are charged in-state tuition rates at Kansas public postsecondary institutions regardless of time spent in Kansas. Spouses and dependent children of veterans/service members are also eligible for in-state rates. Administered via the Kansas Board of Regents.

Kansas public educational institutions waive tuition and required fees for former prisoners of war; spouses, unremarried surviving spouses, and dependent children of service members/veterans who died in the line of duty on state or federal active duty; veterans with an 80% or greater service-connected disability rating; and service members injured or disabled on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Administered by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Pays tuition and fees at a public Kansas institution for Kansas residents who served in international waters or on foreign soil in support of military operations for which they received hostile-fire pay for at least 90 days after Sept. 11, 2001 (or less than 90 days due to injury), with an honorable or under-honorable-conditions discharge or still in service. Administered by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Veterans competent to perform the duties are given preference for initial employment and first promotion in Kansas state government and in counties and cities. A veteran cannot be disqualified by age or physical/mental disability unless it renders them unable to perform the job. Eligible veterans who apply and are not hired must be notified within 30 days; agencies must post notice of the preference, and a remedy exists in district court.

A Kansas resident veteran with a VA service-connected disability of at least 50% (or entitled to compensation for loss/loss of use of feet or hands, or prescribed permanent visual impairment of both eyes) may obtain a Disabled Veteran license plate. There is no registration fee for the initial Disabled Veteran plate at application or renewal on one vehicle (auto, motorcycle, or truck registered at 20,000 lbs. or less, titled or leased by the veteran). Property tax on the vehicle is still due. Additional plates carry standard fees. Apply via Form TR-103 at the county treasurer's office.

Legal Kansas residents honorably separated from the armed services with a service-connected disability certified at 30% or more may apply for free annual resident hunting and fishing licenses through the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP). Applicant must provide proof of at least 30% disability; annual application is required. Authorized under K.S.A. 32-934.

Kansas operates two state veterans homes: Kansas Soldiers' Home in Fort Dodge and Kansas Veterans' Home in Winfield, providing long-term/skilled nursing and domiciliary care. Eligibility requires active-duty service with a discharge other than dishonorable. Priority goes to veterans lacking adequate means of support; Kansas residents receive admission preference (Soldiers' Home has a 2-year Kansas residency requirement). Spouses, surviving spouses, and Gold Star parents may be admitted on a space-available basis.