A personal injury is nothing to seek out or to be happy about. But if there are ways for people to recoup some of their losses that have been experienced in 2014, they should take advantage of those opportunities. What opportunities could there possibly be for someone affected by a long-term injury such as a brain injury? Federal taxes allows write offs for medical expenses related to long-term care.
To be eligible for a tax write off a person who is exposed to long-term care must be chronically ill and put under a long-term care plan by a physician. Such a person is considered chronically ill if they can’t independently perform at least two tasks of daily living (such as eating, using the restroom, dressing and more) and if they need supervision to be protected by threats because of cognitive impairment.
These qualifications are often seen of people who have suffered brain injury due to a personal injury. Quality of care in the first few months or years can mean a huge difference in quality of life for the rest of the affected person’s life.
If the person has found to have been chronically ill in the past 12 months due to brain injury or other injury, there is also a tax write-off for maintenance or personal care services. These services help those with cognitive injury — such as a brain injury — complete day to day activities that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to complete alone. It essentially allows them to lead a safe and healthy life as possible in their current condition. These expenses could be in the form of a personal care assistant or equipment necessary to perform these functions.
Source: irs.gov, “Long-term care,” Accessed April 6, 2014
