SERVING

Those That

SERVED

Ohio State Benefits

1st Stop Business Connection

The 1st Stop Business Connection, a program sponsored by the Ohio Department of Development's Small Business Development Centers and the U.S. Small Business Administration, provides FREE state-level information needed to get started or continue on your entrepreneurial journey.                                                        

                            

Linked Loan Deposit Program

Veterans receive preference through the Ohio Treasurer’s Office which provides a reduced rate for small business loans.

                   

Bonus Program

The State of Ohio has begun accepting applications from veterans of recent military conflicts for recently approved bonus payments.  The bonus is available to Ohio military men and women who recently served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq, plus those who served in Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. For more information call 1-877-OHIO VET.

  

State Taxes                       

As with all veteran benefits, your County Veterans Service Office can assist you with any questions you may have about State taxes for Ohio.

                                                 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

                   

Mobilized Military Member State Tax Exemption.

Effective 1 January 2007 Military members that are Ohio residents who are stationed outside the boarders of the State of Ohio are exempt from Ohio State tax for the period of deployment.                         

                        

Military Retirement Pay – State Tax Exemption

Effective 1 January 2008 military retirement pay is exempt from State of Ohio tax and local school district income taxes.                             

                         

Surviving Spouse Benefit Plans – State Tax Exemption

Effective 21 August 2008 surviving spouse benefit plans are exempt from State of Ohio tax.                                           

                     

Homestead Exemption – Senior citizens (65 and older) AND totally disabled veterans, regardless of income, are allowed a flat (no phase-out levels) $25,000 property tax exemption.  For more information call 1-800-282-1780.

   

   

   

  

  

  

  

   

  

     

       

Free Haircuts

In celebration of Veterans Day,  an Ohio State representative  will meet with Bluffton area veterans and pay for their haircuts on Veterans Day each year. A State representativ will personally be at Stoney’s Barbershop in Bluffton from 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. on each Wednesday the week of Veterans Day, and will pay for the haircut of any veteran who visits between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Stoney’s Barbershop is located in the lower level of 125 N. Main St. in Bluffton, Ohio.

    

Updates

Please check back often as State of Ohio updates are frequently published.  Information about services and programs offered by the State of Ohio constantly evolve and programs and services adjusted to better meet the needs of veterans who reside in Ohio.

      

More Bonus Programs
Veterans serving on active duty (except active duty for training) anywhere in the world during specified dates may receive $50 a month up to a maximum bonus of $500.

    

   

   

   

  

  

   

  

    

   

        

Eligible veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, or Iraq during certain dates may receive a $100 bonus for each month they served in those locations, up to a maximum of $1,000.

  

Eligible veterans may combine their service bonuses for a maximum payment of $1,500.

  

Who is Eligible for the Ohio Veterans Bonus Program?
Ohio veterans may be eligible for the bonuses if they served on active duty in the Armed Forces, including those who served in the Ohio National Guard, if they served in the specified locations during specific time periods for reasons other than training.

  

To be eligible, applicants must have been legal residents in Ohio when they entered active duty and must be Ohio residents when they apply for the bonus.

   

  • To be eligible for the Ohio Veterans Program Bonus:
    The veteran must have been separated from the Armed Forces under Honorable conditions.
  • The veteran remains on active duty service.
  • After active duty service, the veteran remains in any reserve component of the Armed Forces, including the Ohio National Guard.

   

Eligible Service Dates and Locations

Eligible veterans may receive $100 for each month of active duty service in the following locations during these specified dates:

  • Persian Gulf: Between August 2, 1990 and March 3, 1991, the date when Iraq accepted the conditions for a permanent cease-fire.
  • Afghanistan: Since October 7, 2001. Eligible veterans can apply for a bonus for up to three years after the President declares an end to U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
  • Iraq: Since March 19, 2003. Eligible veterans can apply for a bonus for up to three years after the president declares an end to U.S. involvement in Iraq.

   

The maximum benefit for service in those three areas is $1,000.

Eligible veterans may also apply for a $50 bonus per month if they served during these time periods or if they served anywhere else in the world. The maximum bonus under these provisions is $500 and the bonuses may be combined for a maximum of $1500.

  

Families of deceased Ohio veterans may also be eligible for the bonus.

   
How to Claim the Ohio Veterans Bonus
To apply for the bonus, applicants should go to veteransbonus.ohio.gov, and complete the online application. You may also visit a public library if you do not have internet access or visit your local Ohio’s County Veterans Service Office for assistance.

   

Application must be signed, notarized and mailed. The final application must be printed, signed, and notarized or acknowledged before it will be accepted. Mail your application to:

      

   

  

  

    

   

   

       

      

      

Ohio Veterans Bonus
P.O. Box 373
Sandusky, Ohio 44871.

   

The estimated processing time for Ohio veterans bonus program applications is approximately eight weeks, depending on the volume of applications initially received.

  

Applicants with specific questions can call 1 -877-OHIO-VET or go online at veteransbonus.ohio.gov.

     

PTSD Grant

The Military Injury Relief Fund grants a one-time, tax-exempt monetary payment to military service members injured in active service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States serving after October 7, 2001, and to individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while serving after October 7, 2001.  Please contact the MIRF Program at 877-644-6838, press opt. 3 with questions.

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Bonus for Veterans [Update]

Veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan or Iraq are eligible to for the statewide Veterans’ Bonus which was approved by Ohio Voters in November.  Now The Clerk of Courts and Attorney General’s Offices will offer notarization services free of charge to make this application process simpler for all local veterans.

   

The bonus program offers eligible veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan wars $100 for each month of active duty service up to $1,000.  Eligible veterans serving on active duty elsewhere in the world during these wars may receive $50.00 per month of service, up to a maximum of $500.  Eligible veterans may combine their service bonuses for a maximum payment of $1500.  The families of those killed during these conflicts may also be eligible for compensation.  Ohio Veterans who want to participate in the program must complete a state application which must be notarized or acknowledged. Applicants who want additional information can call 1-877-OHIO VET.