State Tax Relief for U S. Troops Serving in a Combat Zone

Although B is present in the combat zone while on leave from a duty station outside the combat zone, B qualifies for the exclusion under section 112 because B qualifies for hostile fire/imminent danger pay while in the combat zone. In July, while serving in a combat zone, an enlisted member voluntarily reenlisted. After July, the member neither served in a combat zone nor was hospitalized for wounds incurred in the combat zone. In February of the https://turbo-tax.org/ following year, the member received a bonus as a result of the July reenlistment. From March through December, an enlisted member became entitled to 25 days of annual leave while serving in a combat zone. The member used all 25 days of leave in the following year. The member may exclude from income the compensation received for those 25 days, even if the member performs no services in the combat zone in the year the compensation is received.

For additional information, see Who Must Fileand Residency. The area is designated as a combat zone by a presidential executive order. It’s an area where U.S. armed forces are engaging in or have engaged in combat. Payroll Payroll services and support to keep you compliant. The VA Home Loan is one of the only home loans available today with no down payment required. By Executive Order No. 13239, Afghanistan was designated as a combat zone beginning Sept.19, 2001. There may be certain time limits and exclusions for this type of pay.

What counts as “serving in a combat zone?”

The Combat Zone Tax Exclusion is unlimited for enlisted members and warrant officers and is limited to the maximum enlisted pay amount, plus the amount of Hostile Fire Pay / Imminent Danger Pay payable to the officer for the qualifying month, for officers. One of the most popular retirement planning tools is an Individual Retirement Account . Contributions to an IRA, however, must be made using “earned income,” meaning income from working. Since combat zone pay is excluded from your gross income, it does not qualify as earned income. Without anything further, it would appear as though the combat pay exclusion puts members of the military at a significant disadvantage when it comes to retirement planning. If you served in a combat zone for one or more days during a particular month, you’re allowed the above exclusions for that entire month. Combat-zone service includes any periods you are absent from duty due to illness, wounds, or leave.

Many states do not tax military retirement income and are considered the most tax-friendly for military retirees. If you are filing a married filing jointly return, it must be signed by both spouses. If your spouse cannot sign the return because of absence due to military duty, you may be able to sign the return for your spouse.

Military tax tips: Learn about the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion

Service members are also considered to be serving in a combat zone if they become prisoners of war or are missing in action if that status is kept for military pay purposes. This tax relief also can apply to obtaining a refund for the surviving family if taxes were already paid. If a member of the armed services is deployed to a combat zone for six months, half of their annual base pay is excluded from federal income tax. If you’re a resident, your military retirement pay is taxable. This includes all military pension income, regardless of where you were stationed or domiciled while on active duty.

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• You don’t claim an exclusion for combat pay on your return.
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• Additional training or testing may be required in CA, OR, and other states.

An enlisted member with a 15% marginal tax rate would save in excess of $2,000 in federal income tax. Soldiers in the combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area merely for their own convenience, e.g., while on leave from a duty station not in the zone or area, are not entitled to the exclusion. If you are hospitalized while serving in the combat zone, the wound, disease, or injury causing the hospitalization will be presumed to have been incurred while serving in the combat zone unless there is clear evidence to the contrary. If, as a result of serving in a combat zone, a person becomes a prisoner of war or is missing in action, that person is considered to be serving in the combat zone so long as he or she keeps that status for military pay purposes. If you are a military member who serves in a combat zone , you can exclude certain pay from your income when determining your taxes. The following countries were certified by the Department of Defense for combat zone benefits due to their direct support of military operations in the Afghanistan combat zone.

Exemption for Virginia National Guard Income

You are required to meet government requirements to receive your ITIN. The service qualifies you for special military pay for duty subject to hostile fire or imminent danger. You don’t have to report income received during service in a combat zone as gross income. Hi Mike, based on everything I have read, your military pay and compensation will be tax free if you receive it while in a tax free zone. That said, I am not 100% certain how your case would be processed.

• This portion of your pay likely accounts for percent of your total compensation, meaning a quarter to a third of your compensation may be tax-free.
• Entitlement to the compensation must have fully accrued in a month during which the member served in a designated combat zone or was hospitalized as a result of wounds, disease, or injury incurred while serving in a designated combat zone.
• This leaves the few remaining states which do not have any exemptions for military retirement pay.
• The forgiveness can also apply to prior years that ended after the combat zone service began.
• The last day of hospitalization for injuries suffered in a combat zone or contingency operation.
• Income from working in a club, mess, post or theater, or from duties for nonappropriated fund activities, while serving in a combat zone.

Year-round access may require an Emerald Savings® account. Receive 20% off next year’s tax preparation if we fail to provide any of the 4 benefits included in our “No Surprise Guarantee” (Upfront Transparent Pricing, Transparent Process, Free Audit Assistance, and Free Midyear Tax Check-In). Description of benefits and details at hrblock.com/guarantees. Find out how real estate income like rental properties, mortgages, and timeshares affect your tax return. Hi, we have paid for all expenses for our son who is a disabled Iraq Veteran.

An area usually becomes a combat zone and ceases to be a combat zone on the dates the President designates by Executive Order. By Executive Order No. 12744, the following locations were designated as a combat zone beginning January 17, 1991. By Executive Order No. 13119, the following locations were designated as a combat zone beginning March 24, 1999. By Executive Order No. 13239, Afghanistan was designated as a combat zone beginning September 19, 2001. With an office in La Crescenta, California, estate planning and elder law attorney Jeff Field helps clients with wills, trusts, tax planning, and elder law issues in La Cañada, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, and Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

When filing a separate return, the other spouse’s income, exemptions, and deductions should not be included. B is a member of the Armed Forces assigned to a unit stationed in Nearby Country. B is not on official temporary duty and does not qualify for hostile fire/imminent danger pay while present in the combat zone. Accordingly, B is not deemed Combat Zone Tax Exclusions to serve in a combat zone since B is present in the combat zone solely for B’s own personal convenience. During June, B takes authorized leave and elects to spend the leave period by visiting a city in the combat zone. While on leave in the combat zone, B is subject to hostile fire qualifying B for hostile fire/imminent danger pay.