Tax Time Can Equal Tax Savings

"People relying on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits may have among the lowest incomes, yet they can pay more than they should in taxes, according to Allsup, a leading provider of Social Security disability, financial and healthcare-related services to people with disabilities.

"Just like healthcare and other costs, taxes can be a concern for people with disabilities when they aren't managed well," said Paul Gada, a tax attorney and personal financial planning director for the Allsup Disability Life Planning Center. "More than 9.2 million people rely on SSDI benefits, but some may not understand the tax implications. They could be missing opportunities to reduce the real cost of their expenses."

Below, Allsup offers five guidelines to help people with disabilities minimize the impact of taxes. More help is in Allsup's tax resources section on Allsup.com as well as in a podcast also issued today.

1. Be sure you know how your SSDI benefits are taxed.
2. File an income tax return - even if you do not owe taxes.
3. Take the credit for the disabled if you are eligible.
4. Keep track of your medical and dependent care expenses.
5. Deduct the costs of seeking your SSDI benefits."

http://www.prweb.com/printer/2230854.htm

The link leads to details about each guideline.

Hello, I Am An Adult With A Disability In A Wheelchair

For people living with a wheelchair there is a lot of added frustration. Dealing with the people, who "do not get," that I can make my own decisions, carry on a conversation, and want to try to do something before asking for assistance. This could also be said for people with other disabilities, but a wheelchair gives a visual to the disability.

The following article is another example of someone who wants it known that people with disabilities still have abilities.

"I’ve been racking my braintrying to figure out how to explain this to you. I guess it’s about a dumbing down, a denial of respect, a denial of dignity, a loss of voice.I have a voice.

I have a well thought out opinion. I have valuable knowledge. I am capable of making sound decisions.

But some people apparently think I don’t and I’m not. Just because I use a wheelchair. There’s a stereotype, an assumption, that people who use a wheelchair, people who are blind, people who are deaf, and other people with disabilities are not very intelligent.

As a result, some service providers, family members, co-workers, and community members feel compelled to tell us what to do. They feel a need to instruct us, guide us, inform us, explain to us, decide for us, and lecture us about how we should live our lives. And then they want to speak for us."

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20090315/NEWS/903159975/1078&ParentProfile=1055&title=Disability%20101%20%20I%20Have%20a%20Voice