Special Tax Deduction for Special Education

In the United States, there are more than six million children who fall into the “special needs” category.  This number increase each year.  For example – autism – grew more than 70% between 2005 and 2010.

There are numerous tax breaks for education, but the most important one for many special needs students isn’t an education break.  Instead, it falls under the medical-expense category.

Although students with disabilities have a right to a “free and appropriate” public education by law, some families opt out and other pay for a range of supplemental therapies.

Such families can use the tax code for medical-expense deduction to help cope with costs which tax advisors overlook.

In fact, tax rules allow medical deductions for “diagnosis, cure, mitigation, or treatment…primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness” (IRS Publication 502).  To learn more about medical-expense check out the IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses at www.irs.gov.

Here are few other sources to find help.

Special Needs Alliance

National Center for Learning Disabilities

Talk About Curing Autism

Autism Society

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Down Syndrome Society

Source for this information was provided by The Wall Street Journal, Tax Report article:  Special Tax Deductions for Special Education by Laura Saunders; Date: November 12, 2011.  For a personal copy of this article visit www.djreprints.com