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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Steve and Shannon Cook<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Steve on Dice World: Steve6009<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Steve on Twitter: @SteveCook67<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Today I married my best friend. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The one that I laugh with, live for, love.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>October 11, 2003 <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> dan Thompson [mailto:dthompson5@mchsi.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, January 16, 2015 8:10 AM<br><b>To:</b> dan Thompson<br><b>Subject:</b> Talking Taxes, Dan's tip for January 16 2015<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Talking Taxes<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>By Leisa Rosen, CPA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>This segment will occur in the first quarter of the newsletter to give you some information about filing your taxes in the United States as a legally blind person.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Anyone whose field of vision falls at or below 20 degrees, who wears corrective glasses but whose vision is 20/200 or less in his best eye, or who has no eyesight at all, meets the legal definition of being blind and is eligible for certain tax deductions. Several aspects of federal tax law apply specifically to blind or visually impaired citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A bigger standard deduction for blind taxpayers:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Box 39A on the 1040 tax-return form and Box 23A on the 1040A form are both places where blind filers can claim unique deductions. This translates into a larger tax break, allowing you to subtract a bigger standard deduction from your adjusted gross income.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>If you're blind and over age 65, your savings increases.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Married filers also benefit from this deduction when their spouse is visually impaired.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Credit for the elderly and the disabled<br>The IRS offers two ways to qualify for the Credit for the Elderly and the Disabled:<br>be at least 65 years old or have a disability that forced you to retire before your employer's mandatory retirement age, usually age 65.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To qualify as disabled, you also need to have taxable disability income such as Social Security disability benefits. This credit reduces the amount of tax owed to the IRS. Unlike the earned income tax credit, it is nonrefundable, meaning it does not offer a refund if it lowers your tax liability to zero.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Be sure to consult your tax advisor for specifics related to your own Individual circumstances.<br>Next month</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>�</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>s Talking Taxes found in the Blind Perspective Newsletter, will have infromation regarding medical deductions.I will include this in Dan'st tips during February 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To subscribe to Dan's tips or HotSpot with God Daily Devotional, send a blank message to <a href="mailto:dthompson5@mchsi.com">dthompson5@mchsi.com</a> and include "subscribe Dan's Tips" or Subscribe HotSpot with God" in the subject line.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:19.8pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:19.8pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:11.25pt;line-height:19.8pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>Psalm 62:1-2</span></b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>