IRS Tax Deductions for Persons with a Disabillity
AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, you may qualify for some of the following tax deductions, income exclusions, and credits. For more detailed information, please take a look at the IRS publications referenced.Standard Deduction: If you are legally blind, you may be entitled to a higher standard deduction on your tax return. See IRS Publication 501
Gross Income: Certain disability-related payments may be excluded from gross income. These include compensatory damages for a physical injury or sick-ness; a permanent loss, or the loss of the use, of a part or function of your body; or a permanent disfigurement. Veterans Administration (VA) disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may also be excluded from your gross income. See IRS Publication 525
Impairment-Related Work Expenses: If you have a physical or mental disability that limits your ability to function as an employee, you may be able to deduct as a miscellaneous deduction some of your work expenses related to your impairment. Some examples would be an on-the-job attendant, a screen reader, or a sign language interpreter. See IRS Publication 529
Credit for the Elderly or Disabled: You may be entitled to the credit for the elderly or disabled if you are ? 65 or older, or ? If you were under 65 at the end of the calendar year, – Permanently and totally disabled, and – You received taxable disability income, and – You have not reached mandatory retirement age. See IRS Publication 524
Medical Expenditures: You may be able to deduct home improvements and additions that are added primarily for medical care. The cost of certain educational services and equipment as medical expenses are also allowable, as long as these expenses are made to alleviate your physical or mental condition. Examples of potentially qualifying improvements are the installation of ramps or an elevator; the extra costs for Braille books over regular printed editions; or amounts paid to purchase, train, and maintain a dog or other service animal for assisting blind, deaf, or physically disabled individuals. See IRS Publication 502
AS A PARENT OF A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY, you may qualify for some of the following tax exemptions, deductions, and credits. For more detailed information, please take a look at the IRS publications & forms referenced.
Dependents: You may be able to claim your totally and permanently disabled child as an exemption, re-gardless of age, even if your child received income for work performed at a sheltered workshop. In addition, if your disabled child received SSI, you may still claim them as a dependent if you have otherwise provided more than half of their support. See IRS Publication 501
Adoption Credit: You may be able to claim a tax credit for expenses paid to adopt a child. The credit may increase if the expenses are for the adoption of a child with special needs. See IRS Publication 968 and Form 8839
Medical Expenditures: Special schooling for a child with a physical or mental disability or one needing psychiatric treatment may be deductible as a medical expense. This includes special instruction or training such as lip-reading, sign language, speech instruction, or Braille. (See also “Medical Expenditures” in the first section of this publication.)See IRS Publication 502
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The EITC is a refundable tax credit for working parents with low to moderate earnings. Those who qualify can reduce their federal tax liability, potentially receiving a refund. The age limitation rules that generally apply in determining a qualifying child for purposes of the EITC are waived if the child is permanently and totally disabled. See IRS Publication 596
Child or Dependent Care Credit: If you pay someone to care for your dependent child or other qualifying person so that you can work or look for work, you may be able to claim a credit for those expenses. The age limitation rules that generally apply in determining a qualifying person for purposes of this credit are waived if the person is physically or mentally unable to care for him or herself. See IRS Publication 503AS A BUSINESS WISHING TO ACCOM-MODATE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, you may qualify for some of the following tax cred-its and deductions. For more detailed information, please take a look at the IRS publications & forms referenced.
Disabled Access Credit: Under IRS Code Sec-tion 44, an eligible small business may be entitled to a tax credit for expenditures incurred to make a business accessible to individuals with disabilities. The credit is available every year and can include a variety of costs, such as sign language interpreters for deaf employees or customers, the purchase of adaptive equipment, etc. When considering these tax incentives, please be aware of unscrupulous promoters that entice individuals and businesses to invest in false schemes involving these credits. For additional information on these schemes please visit www.irs.gov/businesses/small. See IRS Publication 535 and Form 8826
Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction: Under IRS Code Section 190, all businesses may be able to take an annual deduction for expenses related to removing physical, structural, and trans-portation barriers for people with disabilities. Eligible small businesses may use the credit and deduction together, if the expenses incurred qualify. See IRS Publication 535
Work Opportunity Credit: This credit provides employers with an incentive to hire persons from certain population groups having a particularly high unemployment rate or other special employment needs, such as Vocational Rehabilitation referrals. See IRS Form 5884, Form 3800, and Form 8850