Our 7 BEST Tinnitus VA Rating Tips!

Pop quiz: What’s the #1 most-common disability awarded by the VA? 

That’s right, it’s tinnitus. (How’d you guess?) More veterans have a tinnitus VA rating than any other disability.

In this post, we’ll break down what you need to know to get a tinnitus VA disability rating. 

Following through on these 7 tips can increase your chances of getting your claim started on a winning track.

If you’ve already won your tinnitus VA claim, don’t stop reading! We also talk about conditions secondary to tinnitus later on in this post. 

If you have any secondary conditions and you believe they’re caused by your tinnitus, you could be eligible for a boost to your VA rating.

Key Takeaways

• Submit an Intent to File Early: To set your effective date and increase potential back pay, submit an Intent to File immediately, even if you don’t yet have a tinnitus diagnosis. This gives you a year to complete your tinnitus VA claim.
• Obtain a Diagnosis and Prove Service Connection: A medical diagnosis of tinnitus is essential for a tinnitus VA rating. Additionally, you must establish that your tinnitus is connected to your military service through evidence (or a nexus letter).
• Choose the Right VA Claim Type: File either a Fully-Developed Claim (FDC) with all necessary evidence for a quicker decision or a Standard Claim if you need the VA’s help in gathering additional information.
• Consider VA Secondary Conditions: If you have existing service-connected disabilities, such as hearing loss or migraines, that could be related to your tinnitus, file for these secondary conditions to potentially increase your overall VA rating.

7 Tips for Getting a Tinnitus VA Rating

Below is our list of things you can do to increase your chances of winning a tinnitus VA claim. 

1. Submit an Intent to File
2. Get a Medical Diagnosis
3. Establish/Prove Service Connection
4. Submit the Best Type of Claim
5. Prove Secondary Service Connection
6. Nail Your Tinnitus C&P Exam
7. Appeal (if needed)

There isn’t enough room in this post to say everything that needs to be said about each tip, so be sure to follow the links where we’ll explain in even more detail:

Submit an Intent to File

The very first thing you should do if you want a tinnitus VA rating is submit an Intent to File. 

In fact, you should go do it right now. Regardless of whether or not you even have a tinnitus diagnosis, you should submit an Intent to File.

An Intent to File is one way to set your VA effective date. This is the date the VA uses to determine when you became eligible for VA benefits. 

The sooner your effective date, the more back pay you could have coming your way if your claim is approved.

Once you submit an Intent to File, you’ll have 1 year to complete your claim.

You can read our post What is a VA Intent to File? to learn how to submit an Intent to File.

Get a Diagnosis

Unless a medical professional has diagnosed you with tinnitus, you can’t get a tinnitus VA rating.

A current diagnosis is a requirement for every VA claim. The VA won’t just take your word that you have tinnitus.

Getting a diagnosis is the easy part because, technically speaking, there is no way to test for “subjective tinnitus”. This is tinnitus that only you can hear.

Your doctor can perform tests like a hearing exam, lab work, or take some imaging to rule out other causes or to identify what might be causing your tinnitus, but these tests cannot positively identify tinnitus.

To a certain extent, the doctor has to take your word for it.

Establish Service Connection

Once you get a diagnosis, you’ve crossed one of the most important barriers in getting a tinnitus VA rating. 

Another vital step is showing the VA that your service caused your tinnitus or made it worse. This is called “service connection,” and it’s something every VA claim requires in order to be approved.

Your service could have caused your tinnitus via an “event,” an injury, or a disease. 

For example, if you were near an IED when it went off, that could have caused your tinnitus. But you have to show the VA evidence that:

1. You were near an IED when it went off, and 
2. Prove with medical evidence that the explosion caused your tinnitus.

Without connecting your tinnitus to your service, you will not get a tinnitus VA rating.

How do you prove service connection? 

It’s all about the evidence. But how do you get your hands on evidence that you were near an IED when it went off? Odds are you don’t have any GoPro footage of the moment.

Statement in Support of Claim

One thing you can do is write a Statement in Support of Claim. 

This is a short, 3-5 paragraph statement you write on VA Form 21-4138 that explains–in your own words–how your condition is service-connected. 

Here, you should give details about the in-service event, injury, or disease that you claim caused your tinnitus such as:

• when it occurred (this should be a 60-day window or less)
• where it occurred
• what you were doing.

PRO TIP: Someone with knowledge of the in-service event, injury, or disease can also write a Statement in Support of Claim. This is called a ”buddy letter” and can be a powerful tool for getting a tinnitus VA rating.

Getting a Nexus Letter

Another thing that can help prove your tinnitus is service-connected is a nexus letter. 

Nexus means “link,” so, a nexus letter is a letter explaining the link between the in-service event, injury, or disease, and your tinnitus.

The VA only accepts nexus letters written by licensed providers. 

In the letter, your provider should explain why–in their professional medical opinion–they believe your tinnitus was caused by an in-service event, injury, or disease.

Nexus letters are not required by the VA. You do not have to get one in order to get a tinnitus VA rating. 

But, they can go a long way in proving service connection.

Submit the Correct Type of VA Claim

You can submit your tinnitus VA claim using form 21-526EZ. A little-known fact is that the VA has two avenues for your claim. They are: 

Fully-Developed Claim (FDC)

Submitting a Fully-Developed Claim tells the VA that you have all the evidence you need for a tinnitus VA rating. Under the VAs “duty to assist,” if you submit a Standard or Traditional claim, they’ll help gather your medical records and any evidence you might need. 

But by using the FDC process, the VA won’t waste time gathering evidence on your behalf. This helps speed up the claims process.

Standard Claim

Submitting a Standard Claim means you only have some of the required evidence and need the VAs help getting the rest. These types of claims typically take longer to be decided.

It’s important to know which type of claim you need to submit. Submitting an FDC without having all the required evidence will result in your claim reverting to a Standard Claim, which lengthens the process. 

And unnecessarily submitting a Standard Claim means you’ll just have to wait a little longer to get a decision.

SEE RELATED: Do’s and Don’ts of Filing a Tinnitus VA Claim

Tinnitus as a Secondary Condition

This is a good option if you already have a service-connected disability that is associated with tinnitus.

A secondary condition is a condition that is caused or made worse by another service-connected disability. 

They are rated in the same way as primary conditions. The same process and rating schedule apply.

What is Tinnitus Secondary to?

The CDC estimates that veterans are 30% more likely than non-veterans to suffer from hearing loss. This makes sense if you think about it. Is there any other profession that is so consistently exposed to explosions, gunfire, and engine noise as the military is?

Hearing loss can be a cause of tinnitus. 

If you have a VA disability rating for hearing loss and have reason to believe it’s causing your tinnitus, then you should definitely consider filing a claim for tinnitus secondary to hearing loss.

Another possibility is tinnitus secondary to nerve damage. 

If you have a rating for nerve damage and also have tinnitus, it’s possible your tinnitus is caused by your nerve damage and you should consider filing a claim for tinnitus secondary to nerve damage.

It’s also possible for migraines to cause tinnitus. 

If you have a VA disability rating for migraines and also have tinnitus, it’s possible the 2 could be linked.

Lastly, Meniere’s Syndrome (an inner ear disorder) can cause tinnitus. 

Meniere’s Syndrome is rated by the VA under code 6205.

Nail Your Tinnitus C&P Exam

Your Compensation and Pension Exam (C&P Exam) is one of the most important parts of the entire VA claims process. 

This exam will determine what percentage the Rating Veterans Service Representative (RSVR) awards you. 

So yeah, a lot can ride on it. That’s why you need to make sure you’re ready for it. 

If you do all the things listed below, your chances of acing your tinnitus C&P exam and getting that tinnitus VA rating go through the roof:

1. Read through your military, VA, and private medical records.
2. Review CFR, Title 38, Part 4, “Schedule for Rating Disabilities.”
3. Don’t describe your best day.
4. Be “uncomfortably vulnerable.”
5. Explain how your disabilities are limiting your work, life, and social functioning.
6. Know your true story completely, plus any in-service incidents or stressor events.
7. Give the C&P examiner a detailed picture of your life before, during, and after service.
8. Remember, the C&P examiner is NOT your friend; Your exam starts in the parking lot.
9. Bring hard-copy documents with you to the C&P exam.
10. After your exam, ask your accredited VSO to download your C&P exam results from VBMS.

Each of these tips are spelled out in detail in our post 10 EXPERT Tips to DOMINATE Your C&P Exam. Give it a read to learn more.

See also: VA Tinnitus C&P Exam: What to Expect and How to Prepare

File an Appeal if Necessary

The saying goes, “if you fall down, get back up again.” 

Many VA claims aren’t won on the first try. But you shouldn’t quit there! 

It’s well within your rights as a veteran to appeal any decision the VA makes, including your rating percentage.

If your tinnitus VA claim is denied, you can appeal it. If they set your tinnitus VA disability rating at 0%, you can appeal it.

There are many things that could cause your tinnitus VA rating claim to be denied. 

For example:

• Missing a deadline
• Not having enough evidence
• You may have used the wrong VA form
• Maybe you submitted incomplete paperwork

All of these scenarios are good reasons to file an appeal.

You have three options for filing an VA claims appeal:

1. Higher Level Review (HLR)
2. Supplemental Claim
3. Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA)

Check out our post 3 Options to Consider if Your VA Claim is Denied for more information on each of these appeal processes.

How Much Does a Tinnitus VA Rating Pay?

Currently, the max VA rating you can get for tinnitus VA disability is still 10% (10% is projected to equal $175.68 per month in 2025). Tinnitus is rated by the VA according to ECFR Title 38, Part 4, (Diagnostic Code 6260).

VA Tinnitus Rating Change

The 10% tinnitus VA rating could be changing (reduced) soon. Learn more about the VA Tinnitus Rating Change here.

Still, it’s worth pursuing a tinnitus VA rating! Even though 10% is not a lot of money, you’ll have access to many other VA benefits such as:

• Free healthcare and medication
• Allowance for travel to medical appointments
• VA Home-Loan funding fee exemption
• VA life insurance

All of the above benefits can save you more money than you might expect—in addition to the potential to service connect your secondary conditions.

Conditions Secondary to Tinnitus

One of the best ways to increase your VA disability rating is to file claims for your secondary conditions. 

As mentioned above, secondary conditions are conditions that are caused or made worse by a primary condition.

Here’s a short list of conditions that tinnitus can cause or make worse:

1. Migraines Secondary to Tinnitus: Research shows that people suffering from tinnitus are vulnerable to migraines or headaches. Migraines can be rated as high as 50%.
2. Anxiety Secondary to Tinnitus: Research suggests that there is a link between tinnitus and anxiety. The VA rates anxiety up to 100%.
3. Depression Secondary to Tinnitus: Research also shows that depression can be linked to tinnitus. Depression is also rated up to 100%.
4. Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD): This was previously known as Chronic Pain Disorder. It is the result of an extreme focus on physical symptoms and can cause a high degree of occupational and social impairment. SSD can be rated at 0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%.

We wrote a post that goes in-depth on the secondary conditions above called Top 5 Secondary Conditions to Tinnitus if you want to learn more.

What is Tinnitus?

Now that you’re up to speed on the tips and tricks for getting a tinnitus VA rating, let’s talk a bit more about tinnitus itself.

According to the Mayo Clinic, tinnitus is “when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people usually can’t hear it.” 

The Mayo Clinic also says that tinnitus is common, affecting anywhere from 15% to 20% of the population.

Symptoms

Tinnitus is characterized by a few common sounds:

• Buzzing
• Roaring
• Clicking
• Hissing
• Humming

Most people have what’s called “subjective tinnitus,” or tinnitus that only you can hear. This is the most common tinnitus VA rating. It can occur in both ears or just one and can sometimes be so severe that it makes it hard to concentrate or hear other sounds.

Causes

For most people, tinnitus is caused by:

• Hearing loss: This occurs when the tiny hairs inside your inner ear (called cochlea) become bent or broken and “leak” electrical pulses which your brain interprets as tinnitus sounds. Hearing loss can be caused by loud noise exposure (which is also a risk factor for tinnitus) or, simply by getting older.
• Ear infection: A buildup of pressure in the ear canal from an ear infection can cause tinnitus.
• Head or neck injuries: Trauma to the neck or head can damage nerves used for hearing, causing tinnitus.
• Medication: Some medications can cause tinnitus. Usually, a higher dosage means worse tinnitus symptoms. But they typically go away when you stop taking the medication.
• Chronic conditions: Some chronic conditions such as migraines have been shown to cause tinnitus.

Treatment

If you see a doctor about your tinnitus, here is a short list of treatments they may recommend:

• Treating a blood vessel condition: This treatment can sometimes require surgery or medication.
• Hearing aids: If loud noise exposure caused your tinnitus, a hearing aid might be able to reduce some of the symptoms.
• White noise machines: Low volume, repetitive background noise can make your tinnitus symptoms less noticeable.
• Noise masking: A noise masking machine is like a white noise machine inside a hearing aid. It produces a low-level white noise that can “mask” your tinnitus symptoms.
• Medication: Medication can be used to treat an underlying condition that is causing your tinnitus or it can be used to combat your tinnitus symptoms.

Wrapping Up

It’s a well-known truth that the VA is a slow-moving behemoth. In fact, the VA claims backlog is expected to grow to 400,000 in 2024! But this doesn’t have to be you.

Whether you’re filing a tinnitus VA claim for the first time, filing an appeal, or filing for tinnitus as a secondary condition, we’ve got your six! 

Reach out and schedule your FREE VA Claims Insider Discovery Call. This is a free, no-obligation call with a VA claims expert.

In this call, you can discuss what strategy is best to get you on the right path toward the VA rating you deserve!

Clay Huston

Clay Huston is a former U.S. Army Reserves Blackhawk Pilot and officer. Clay enlisted in the Army in 2013 and was commissioned as a 2LT in 2017 after earning a business degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

Since separating from the military, Clay has pursued a career as a writer. He also runs the nonprofit notfatherless.org, which fundraises for Children’s Homes in Mexico.