What to check in any VA disability calculator
Two VA disability calculators can give two different answers for the same ratings. A few checks tell you which one to trust, and they apply to this calculator too.
1. Does it follow the table, or keep decimals?
The VA’s rule works from a published table of whole numbers and says to carry each table value into the next step. A calculator that keeps decimals can round differently at the end. For 60%, 30% and 10% the table gives 72 and then 75, which rounds up to 80%. Decimals give 74.8, which rounds to 70%. The full example is here. Ask which method a calculator uses, and whether it names the rule.
2. Does it show its steps?
You should be able to follow each combination: which ratings were combined, what each step gave, and where the rounding happened. A bare final number cannot be checked. This calculator shows every step so you can compare it with the combined ratings table.
3. Does it handle the bilateral factor?
If you have a rating for both arms, both legs or paired muscles, the rule adds 10 percent to those ratings before the rest are combined. A calculator with no way to mark paired ratings cannot give the right answer for you. See the bilateral factor calculator and 38 CFR 4.26.
4. Does it show the date of its pay rates?
The VA changes compensation each December. A calculator should state the effective date of the rates it uses. The tables used here are effective December 1, 2025 and are on the pay chart, where you can compare them with the VA’s own page.
5. Does it cite its sources and say when it was checked?
Look for links to the rule and the VA rate page, and a “last checked” date. If a calculator names no source, you cannot tell what it is based on.
6. Does it ask for personal information?
A rating calculator does not need your name, email or claim number. Here, what you enter stays in your browser and is not sent anywhere.
7. Does it claim to decide anything?
No calculator decides your rating. Only the VA does. A good one says so plainly and points you to an accredited representative for questions about a claim.