Members of the U.S. Armed Forces have special tax situations and benefits. Understand how that affects you and your taxes. Check if you are eligible for military tax benefits. Current and Former Military Armed Forces' Tax Guide, Publication 3 (for active and reserve military only) Automatic extensions of your filing deadline Tax breaks for you and your family MilTax, a Department of Defense program that generally offers free return preparation and e-filing software for all military members, and some veterans, with no income limit Use IRS Free File online Get free tax help from volunteers Special application of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits excluded from taxable income Information for veterans Federal income tax withholding after leaving the militaryPDF Combat Service If you serve in one of the combat zones recognized by the IRS, you may be able to exclude combat income from taxation. You may also want to see if special EITC rules apply that could lead to a larger refund. Disabled Veterans If you're a disabled veteran your disability payment may qualify for certain tax exclusions. You may also be eligible to claim a federal tax refund if you received: A lump sum disability severance payment that was counted as income An increase in disability percentage from the Department of Veterans Affairs If you already filed, you may benefit from amended return filing for combat-injured disabled veterans.