What it is
Minn. Stat. 273.13 subd. 34 excludes part of a disabled veteran's homestead from property tax: $150,000 of market value for a service-connected disability of 70 percent or more, $300,000 for a total and permanent rating, certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with an honorable discharge. It takes the place of the ordinary homestead exclusion.
- Surviving spouse
- Keeps the exclusion until remarriage or sale or transfer of the property
- Spouse of a member who dies of a service-connected cause
- Same benefit; apply within two years of the death
- Primary family caregiver
- If the veteran owns no property, the caregiver's homestead qualifies
- Where to apply
- Goodhue County Assessor, Red Wing; the county service officer helps
- Deadline
- December 31 of the first assessment year for which the exclusion is sought
What it saves in Kenyon
Total annual property tax, all jurisdictions, at Kenyon's certified payable-2026 rates:
| Market value | Ordinary | 70%+ | 100% P&T | Saved, 70%+ | Saved, 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $1,094 | $0 | $0 | $1,094 | $1,094 |
| $150,000 | $1,974 | $0 | $0 | $1,974 | $1,974 |
| $200,000 | $2,854 | $816 | $0 | $2,038 | $2,854 |
| $250,000 | $3,734 | $1,631 | $0 | $2,103 | $3,734 |
| $300,000 | $4,614 | $2,447 | $0 | $2,167 | $4,614 |
| $350,000 | $5,493 | $3,262 | $816 | $2,231 | $4,678 |
| $400,000 | $6,373 | $4,078 | $1,631 | $2,296 | $4,742 |
| $500,000 | $8,133 | $5,709 | $3,262 | $2,424 | $4,871 |
Formula: taxable value = market value − exclusion; capacity = 1 percent up to $500,000 and 1.25 percent above; tax = capacity × 143.03 percent + taxable value × 0.2007 percent. The tax estimator uses the same rates but does not model the veteran exclusion. A house worth less than the exclusion pays nothing but special assessments.
Applied to the houses on the market now: the VA loan page shows every Kenyon listing's monthly tax at no rating, 70 percent and 100 percent, on its own parcel's 2026 assessed value.
Related Minnesota tax rules
- Vehicles: no registration tax, plate, sticker or filing fees on up to two vehicles for a total service-connected disability (Minn. Stat. 168.012 subd. 13).
- Income: military retirement pay, active-duty pay and Guard and Reserve active-service pay are subtracted from Minnesota taxable income (Minn. Stat. 290.0132), or a veteran may take the Credit for Past Military Service, up to $750.
- Kenyon's city levy and rates are on the budget page; every parcel's bill is in the property lookup.
Sources: va.gov, benefits.va.gov, cem.va.gov, department.va.gov, veteranscrisisline.net, Minnesota Statutes and Rules at revisor.mn.gov, revenue.state.mn.us, dps.mn.gov, mn.gov/mdva, Goodhue and Rice County veterans service pages, macvso.org, mac-v.org, davmn.org, threeriverscap.org, mnlegion.org, Minnesota Gambling Control Board, IRS and ProPublica filings, Kenyon Leader 2016–2025, KDHL, City of Kenyon council packets and minutes 2019–2026; road distances from the OSRM router. Compiled September 13, 2026. This site is independent of every agency and organization named; confirm amounts with the county service officer before relying on them.
Questions
What is the disabled-veteran homestead exclusion?
Minn. Stat. 273.13 subd. 34 excludes $150,000 of a homestead's market value from taxation for a veteran with a service-connected disability of 70 percent or more, and $300,000 for a total and permanent rating.
How much does it save on a Kenyon house?
At 2026 rates a $250,000 homestead pays about $3,734 a year ordinarily, about $1,631 at 70 percent, and about $0 at 100 percent permanent and total. The tax exclusion page runs every value.
How do I apply?
To the Goodhue County Assessor in Red Wing by December 31 of the first assessment year for which the exclusion is sought, with the VA's certification of the rating. Apply once; the county carries it forward.
Does my spouse keep it if I die?
Yes, until the spouse remarries or sells or transfers the property. The spouse of a service member who dies of a service-connected cause while serving honorably gets the same benefit and may apply within two years of the death.
I do not own a house. Can my caregiver's home qualify?
Yes. If a qualifying veteran owns no property, the homestead of the veteran's primary family caregiver is eligible.
Does the exclusion replace the regular homestead exclusion?
Yes. A homestead that qualifies for the veteran's exclusion does not also take the ordinary homestead exclusion, which the tables on this site account for.
Does it lower the city's revenue?
The excluded value leaves the tax base, so the levy spreads over the remaining parcels; the effect in Kenyon depends on how many homesteads qualify, which the county does not publish by city.