Calculate your VA combined disability rating using the official "whole person" math from 38 CFR 4.25. See your rounded official rating and 2026 monthly compensation by dependent status (alone, with spouse, with children, with parents).
VA does not simply add disability percentages. Each new rating applies to the remaining "healthy" portion. Start at 100% healthy: a 50% rating leaves 50%, and a second 30% reduces the remaining 50% by 30 = 15 more points removed. So 50% + 30% combined = 65%, rounded down to 60%. The bilateral factor (38 CFR 4.26) adds 10% for paired-extremity conditions.
Disclaimer: Estimates only. 2026 VA rates set by Congress with COLA. SMC, TDIU, and dependent rates can substantially change actual payments. Use VA.gov for your official rating.
Calculator information
📋 How to use this calculator
- Add each of your VA-rated disabilities with the rating percentage and whether it is bilateral (paired-extremity, e.g., both knees).
- Sort matters: VA always sorts highest first, but the calculator handles this automatically.
- Pick your dependent status: alone, with spouse, with spouse + children, etc.
- Result shows the raw combined rating (whole-person math), the official rating rounded to nearest 10, and estimated 2026 monthly compensation.
- Tip: even a small new disability can push your combined rating across a 10% threshold (e.g., 64% -> 70%) and significantly raise your monthly payment.
🧮 VA Combined Disability Rating (38 CFR 4.25)
Combined = R1 + R2 x (1 - R1/100) + R3 x (1 - (R1+R2_eff)/100) + ...
- Each rating is applied to the remaining 'healthy' portion, not the original 100%
- Sort all ratings highest first before combining
- Bilateral factor (38 CFR 4.26): combine all bilateral ratings first, then add 10% of that combined value before combining with other disabilities
- Final rating rounds to nearest 10 (64% -> 60%, 65% -> 70% per JS Math.round semantics)
- Math.round(6.5) = 7 in JavaScript, so 65% exactly rounds up to 70%
VA never simply adds disability percentages. Two 50% ratings combine to 50 + (50 x 0.5) = 75% rounded to 80%, not 100%. The math always pulls from the remaining 'healthy' portion, asymptotically approaching but never reaching 100%.
💡 Worked example: Three Disabilities, Veteran with Spouse
Given:- PTSD: 50%, non-bilateral
- Lower back: 30%, non-bilateral
- Tinnitus: 10%, non-bilateral
- Dependent status: veteran + spouse
Steps:- Sort highest first: 50%, 30%, 10%
- Combine 50% and 30%: 50 + 30 x (1 - 50/100) = 50 + 15 = 65%
- Combine that with 10%: 65 + 10 x (1 - 65/100) = 65 + 3.5 = 68.5%
- Round to nearest 10: 68.5 -> 70%
- 2026 monthly compensation at 70% with spouse: ~$1,908
- Annual tax-free benefit: $1,908 x 12 = $22,896
- Pre-tax salary equivalent at 22% combined tax: $22,896 / 0.78 = $29,354
Result: Official rating: 70% (raw 68.5%). Monthly compensation: $1,908. Annual tax-free: $22,896 (equivalent to ~$29k pre-tax W-2 income).
❓ Frequently asked questions
How is my VA combined disability rating calculated?
VA uses 'whole person' math from 38 CFR 4.25. Imagine you are 100% healthy. Each disability removes a percentage from what remains, not from the original 100. So a 50% rating leaves 50% healthy, and a 30% rating on top of that removes 30% of the remaining 50 = 15 more points removed. Combined = 50 + 15 = 65%, rounded down to 60% (final rating rounds to nearest 10).
Do two 50% ratings combine to 100%?
No. Two 50% ratings combine to 50 + (50% of 50) = 75%, which rounds to 80%. You cannot just add VA percentages. You can never exceed 100%, no matter how many disabilities you have - the math always pulls from the remaining 'healthy' portion, which approaches but never reaches zero.
What is the bilateral factor for paired conditions?
38 CFR 4.26 adds 10% to the combined rating of paired-extremity conditions (both knees, both hands, both feet). The bilateral conditions are combined first using whole-person math, then 10% of that combined value is added, then the result is combined with your other disabilities. This benefits veterans with symmetric injuries - common after military service.
How much will I actually receive monthly?
For 2026 (subject to Congressional COLA), a single veteran at 10% gets about $175/month, 30% about $537, 50% about $1,102, 70% about $1,759, 100% about $3,831. Add dependents (spouse, children, parents) for higher rates. Specialized Monthly Compensation (SMC) and Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) can substantially raise actual payments. Visit VA.gov for your exact official rates.
Is VA disability compensation taxable?
No - VA disability compensation is fully tax-free at the federal level and in all 50 states. This is a significant advantage versus a W-2 salary. A 70% rating at $1,908/month is equivalent to roughly $2,448/month pre-tax W-2 income for someone in a 22% combined federal+state bracket. Survivor benefits (DIC) and most VA pensions are also tax-free.
📚 Sources & references
Last updated: May 13, 2026