Is military retirement pay taxed in Kentucky?
By a Navy veteran. Updated October 2026.
Partly
Kentucky: Up to $31,110 of retirement income excluded. Federal income tax still applies to retired pay in every state.
What this means for your plan
Kentucky taxes part of military retired pay. The exclusion can depend on your age, your income or the year you served, and only the amount above the exclusion is taxed. Runway uses about 4% as a planning rate for the part that is taxed, and you can change it. Run your own numbers instead of assuming the full amount is taxed or exempt.
VA disability pay is not taxed by the federal government, and most states follow that treatment.
Local taxes in Kentucky
Many cities and counties charge occupational taxes on wages and business profit, not retirement pay.
Questions
Does Kentucky tax military retirement pay?
Partly. Up to $31,110 of retirement income excluded.
Is VA disability pay taxed in Kentucky?
VA disability compensation is not taxed by the federal government, and most states follow that treatment. Confirm with the Kentucky Department of Revenue.
Where do I confirm the rules for Kentucky?
Use the Kentucky Department of Revenue and the DFAS retired pay tax page. Rules change, so check the current year before you decide where to live.
See it for your family
The free planner puts your retired pay, VA pay and Kentucky tax on one 24-month timeline, so you can see the month money gets tight. The States tab in the full version compares all 50 states and DC side by side.
Open the plannerSource and method
This summary comes from the state treatment data in the Runway planner, compiled from published state guides. It is not an official ruling. For the official rule, see the Kentucky Department of Revenue and the DFAS retired pay tax page.