[Nfbofsc] Legislative Alert - November 10, 2017

[Jennifer Bazer]

From: NFBNet-Members-List [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2017 4:38 PM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - November 10, 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 NFB’s advocacy,
the IRS has included an additional standard deduction for blind people
compared to non-blind people. This deduction reduces one’s 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 one’s 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
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 | Jpare at nfb.org
 
 
 <https://nfb.org/> National Federation of the Blind
 
 
<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind> Facebook
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice> Twitter
<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind> Youtube
 
The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want. 

 



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