[Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - November 10, 2017
Pare, John
JPare at nfb.org
Fri Nov 10 21:38:24 UTC 2017
Dear Fellow Federationists:
The House of Representatives, Committee on Ways
and Means, favorably reported the Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act out of committee on Thursday, November
9. The bill now goes to the House floor. Please
continue to call your representative and urge him
or her to demand that the additional standard
deduction for blind people be restored.
A summary of the Senate companion bill, also
called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was released on
Thursday, November 9. The Senate bill does not
eliminate the additional standard deduction for
the blind. This is extremely good news!
Please call your two senators and urge them to
continue to maintain the additional standard
deduction for the blind. Please also ask them to
vote for any amendment which incorporates the
Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 732) into the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
As a quick reminder, beginning in the 1940s, as a
result of NFBs advocacy, the IRS has included an
additional standard deduction for blind people
compared to non-blind people. This deduction
reduces ones taxable income and the
corresponding amount of taxes a blind person has
to pay. In 2017, the standard deduction for a
non-blind person filing as single is $6,350 and
the standard deduction for a blind person filing
as single is $7,900, an increase of $1,550. As
far as the effect this deduction has on how much
in taxes one would have to pay, that depends on ones individual tax situation.
The deduction is not intended to pay for a
specific item, but all of the extra items that
blind people have to pay for to live the lives we
want. Examples include transportation, access
technology, readers, Braille transcription, white
canes, supplies for a guide dog, etc.
Your calls and emails are making a big difference
so please keep them up! The best way to contact
your member of Congress is to call the Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the
office in question. Emailing your member of
Congress is also a good idea. If you do so,
please copy me at <mailto:JPare at nfb.org>JPare at nfb.org.
Warm regards,
John
John G. Paré Jr.
Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2218 | <mailto:Jpare at nfb.org>Jpare at nfb.org
<https://nfb.org/>
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The National Federation of the Blind is a
community of members and friends who believe in
the hopes and dreams of the nations blind. Every
day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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