No state income tax.
Florida — Military Tax Treatment
No state income tax — military pay, retirement, SBP, Guard drill pay, all of it. A major reason so many military retirees choose Florida.
Tax treatment at a glance
No state income tax. Guard and Reserve drill pay not taxed.
No state income tax.
Federally tax-free under 38 USC § 5301. No state taxes VA disability compensation as income — Florida included.
No state income tax — SBP annuities not taxed in Florida.
Federal rules that override state law
Active-duty servicemembers pay state income tax only to their state of legal domicile — not the state where they are stationed. If you are from Texas and stationed in Florida, Florida cannot tax your military pay. This applies during all active duty periods and during Guard/Reserve mobilizations on federal (Title 10) orders.
Military spouses can maintain their home-state domicile even when living in a different state due to their servicemember's orders. A spouse who is a Texas resident following their servicemember to Florida can keep Texas as their tax domicile and avoid Florida state income tax on their wages.
SCRA pay protections apply during federal (Title 10) activation orders. During routine drill weekends and state-only activations, Guard and Reserve members are state residents serving in their home state — SCRA does not protect their drill pay from state income tax. Whether Florida exempts that pay is the state-specific question answered above.
Filing watch-outs
- 01Florida has no state income tax return to file. Still file your federal return.
Veteran-specific tax benefits
Homestead exemption $5K for vets; total exemption for 100% P&T disabled vets.
State tax law changes annually. Verify current rules with the Florida Department of Revenue before making any tax decision.
Florida military tax — common questions
Does Florida tax military retirement pay in 2026?
Florida does not tax military retirement pay. No state income tax.
Does Florida tax active-duty military pay?
Florida does not tax active-duty military pay for state residents. No state income tax. Under the SCRA, Florida can only tax the military pay of service members who are legally domiciled in Florida — not those merely stationed there.
Does Florida tax National Guard and Reserve drill pay?
Florida does not tax Guard and Reserve drill pay. No state income tax. Guard and Reserve drill pay not taxed.
Is VA disability compensation taxed in Florida?
No. VA disability compensation is federally tax-free under 38 U.S.C. § 5301, and no state — including Florida — taxes it as income.
If I'm stationed in Florida but claim another state, can Florida tax my military pay?
No. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), active-duty pay is taxable only by your state of legal domicile, not the state where you are stationed. If your domicile is elsewhere, Florida cannot tax your active-duty military pay. Military spouses get the same protection under the MSRRA.