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Tax Tips for Special Needs Families: Tips for Next Year

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I know how stressful tax time can be, and I know there are quite a few families out there who believe they’ll never get it filed on time. Here are some suggestions to consider to help you become more prepared for next year.

What if you owe?

If you owe, work with your tax professional (if possible)

  • Be as accurate as you can when calculating your tax liability.
  • Pay your tax on or before April 15.
  • If your tax return is not complete, submit an extension to file, IRS Form 4868.
  • The extension to file is not an extension of payment, so pay on time!

What if you can’t pay the total tax due?

Contact the IRS immediately at 800-829-1040 to discuss options

  • Ask about the “Fresh Start Initative”.
  • The initative may be an installment payment agreement or an offer in compromise.
  • Do not wait! Please do something on or before April 15.

What you need to do after April 15 as a special needs family

Special needs families do not have the luxury of preparing for taxes from January 1 through April 15; tax season is all year. You need to know if any current and future expenses are possible income tax deductions. Organization of your receipts and statements are key.

You may discover that your income tax threshold is not enough to obtain a tax deduction. Look into other ways to recoup your expenses, such as Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, a health insurance reimbursement, or some other arrangement.

Don’t know if a medical expense is a legitimate tax deduction? You can find that out by visiting irs.gov and searching for Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses. My book and free webinars also discuss what is and is not a medical expense tax deduction.

Find an organizational method that suits your personality. If you file your documents in a cabinet or use apps, do whatever is most comfortable.

The best way to get through tax season is to prepare year round. Learn from your mistakes this year and resolve to become a prepared, organized, and empowered special needs family.

Yolanda Baker is an Austin-based accountant and the author of BITE Your Bills: Cutting Medical Expenses for the Disabled. She provides webinars and assistance with health insurance issues, medical expense tax deductions and assisting those with high health care costs.

Please note that the information Ms. Baker provides is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not to be considered financial or medical advice. Please consult with a financial or medical professional for clarification.

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An Interview with Heath Burch from GuardianPack

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Do you worry about what will happen to your Special Needs Loved One if something should happen to you? Are you worried that you can’t afford all the legal fees to get a will and a Special Needs Trust completed? Are you confused about just what you need, when and why?

The legal and financial aspects of having a Special Needs Family Member can be so overwhelming that they are often shoved under the carpet. It’s tough enough to deal with the day-to-day stuff.

Heath BurchIn this interview with Heath Burch from GuardianPack we explore those issues. And Heath shares easy and affordable tools that you can set up yourself.

Give yourself and your chosen guardians peace of mind. Here’s how:

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A special offer just for our listeners:

Heath has offered a 20% discount on any of the tools you purchase at GuardianPack through October 31, 2012. Just enter the code sfv20 at checkout. Click here for details.

For more on handling the legal and financial issues you face with your Special Needs Family, check out these interviews:

Interview with Laura Hoffman-King – Conservatorship for Special Needs Family Members

Interview with Doug Baker – Special Needs Financial Planning

And if you are wondering if conserving your Special Needs Child is necessary, maybe my story, Conserving Matthew, will help.

And if you have any questions or are searching for any information that we didn’t cover, please let me know in the comments or email me privately here.

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Reflections on Autism Awareness Month

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Yesterday was the last day of Autism Awareness Month. 

Whew. What an emotional roller coaster.

I believe that Awareness is the first step to Acceptance but what we really strive for, what all Families with Special Needs Family Members strive for, is Inclusion.

So I was truly shocked and extremely saddened by some of the the things I read – at the lack of awareness of the uniqueness of each person and their needs, at the lack of acceptance of a different perspective or opinion. And at the lack of Inclusion within our own Special Needs Community.

This past month I learned that Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion must start with us. With the Special Needs Community.

While we may be aware, we certainly don’t accept all and we don’t include all. There are many opinions and ideas, therapies and treatments, groups and organizations in the Autism Community and the larger Special Needs Community. And we don’t all agree with each other.

But we don’t have to.

What we do have to do is be civil and courteous.

Each person with Special Needs and each Family is different. Each has different needs, wants, dreams and goals. Just like everyone else. And each Special Needs Family has the right to choose what is best for them.

We must treat each other the way we ask the rest of the world to treat us – with dignity and respect. Otherwise, how can we possibly ask that of others?

Mother Teresa was once invited to attend an anti-war rally. She declined. Shocked, the organizers asked her why. She told them that when they have a Peace Rally to invite her, she’d be there.

Welcome to the Special Needs Peace Rally.

Here and on Our Special Families Village Facebook Page, you will find information on a variety of Special Needs related topics.

And they might not all agree with each other.

One post might have information on why you should vaccinate your child and another might share the case against it. I will present the information and you can decide what is right for you and your Family.

One interview might share ideas for helping your Child make the most of an Inclusion setting at school and another might explain the benefits of a Special Day Class setting. Again, I will present the information and you decide if it is right for you.

My goal is to find the best information available and share it with you. Not to find only the stuff you will agree with.

But what will not be tolerated here is the kind of negative, polarizing and hurtful judgement I witnessed from some in the Autism Community last month.

We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.

-Attributed to Mahatma Ghandi

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For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (4/4/12)

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For previous articles, please click here.

If you find the information, resources and support here on Our Special Families Village Helpful, please consider supporting our efforts when you shop your favorite online retailers through iBakeSale.com. Thank you.

Raising a kid with special needs: On parent delays and development

I thought about how the nurse has, for the past couple of years, pushed me to be more diligent about training Max. I could have done this a long time ago. But I wasn’t ready. And I’m just not going to feel guilty about that (although guilt has crossed my mind). I’ve got a lot going on in life, like any parent of a kid with special needs. I do my best.

It’s that time of year – crunch time! But maybe this will help take the sting out of the process…

Income Tax Deductions for Children with Special Needs

Before claiming tax deductions on your special needs child, consult your tax attorney or the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal Revenue Service has the right to audit any individual’s annual tax returns for up to six years after it was filed; keep all documentation pertaining to your return for at least that long.

Self determination: the ingredients

Clearly, kids are going to make some mistakes when they make their own choices and speak up for themselves. And it takes some effort on our part to give them opportunities to try. And sometimes to fail. And to try again.

Inclusion Done Right, and Gone Wrong

When done right, inclusion can be a terrific experience for all students, allowing every learner to get needs met and be challenged to work at the best of his or her ability. At its worst, it’s no good for anybody. It’s hard for parents to know, though, what good inclusion is supposed to look like if the only model they have is wanting.

Please let us know your thoughts or questions on these articles in the Comments Section or privately via the Contact Page.

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For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (2/15/12)

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For previous articles, please click here.

If you find the information, resources and support here on Our Special Families Village Helpful, please consider supporting our efforts when you shop your favorite online retailers through iBakeSale.com. Thank you.

Worth Repeating: Speech-Based Activities for Kids with Apraxia

But you just want to know what you can do at home to help your child?

There are a few things you need to keep in mind as your “golden rules” in working with your child with CAS…

The State of Illinois and the lives of medically fragile kids with special needs.

This program provides them with dignity and independence, allowing them to live at home with their families by providing them with home nursing care and other Medicaid benefits.

Obama Plan For Special Education Leaves Advocates Disappointed

Despite a heavy emphasis on education in the president’s budget proposal this week, advocates are worried that students with disabilities are being left out.

Related Services

IDEA requires that a child be assessed in all areas related to his or her suspected disability. This evaluation must be sufficiently comprehensive so as to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs, whether or not those needs are commonly linked to the disability category in which he or she has been classified.

Other Health Impairment

“Other Health Impairment” is one of the 14categories of disability listed in our nation’s special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under IDEA, a child who has an “other health impairment” is very likely to be eligible for special services to help the child address his or her educational, developmental, and functional needs resulting from the disability.

How to Get Help at School for Your Child with a Disability

An absolute must read if you have a school age Special Needs Child!

Children’s Books on Special Needs

Explaining a disability to your child or his classmates, friends and young relatives can be a challenge for parents. These books discuss special needs in a kid-friendly way that can shine a positive light on a tricky topic.

Divorce and Your Special Needs Child

There are few challenges more difficult than going through divorce and having a special needs child. As a divorced, single parent of a beautiful special needs daughter, I can tell you that you realize immediately that the burden of future planning, well-being, and protection fall squarely on your shoulders as a custodial parent. It is the daily living and ordinary moments that test your self reliance and capacity to parent alone. When there is a special needs child involved in a divorce, issues of child custody, visitation, and support and property division are significantly more complex to negotiate. As part of your divorce, make sure your attorney knows what your child’s needs are and walk them through a “day in the life” of you and your child.

Essential Skills for Becoming Your Child’s Advocate

Learning the essential skills to become your child’s advocate and ensure your child receives an appropriate education does not require lots of money or even years of schooling. All it requires is learning five basic skills and consistently implementing them within the school community.

If you have found any great resources or stories, please share them in the Comments Section.

Help make The Village Your Village but sharing your thoughts, ideas and suggestions in this short survey. It’ll only take a few minutes but I appreciate your time very much.

 

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