The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine Issue 5 | Page 36

Tax Season
is Every
Season for
Special
Needs
Families
By Yolanda Baker

T

his tax season that supposedly just started
will not end on April 15th. I’ve been an
accountant for almost ten years, but it’s
only been in the past seven that I have
been able to get a hold of every possible medical
expense tax deduction from my son’s autism treatments. This is what I’ve learned about tax season as
a special needs mom:
Tax season is every season for special needs families.
For the majority of American families, tax season
starts in January. It’s time to send files of receipts
and forms to a tax preparer to process.
However, there is a group of Americans who have
enormous financial burdens from partially reimbursed or non-reimbursed medical expenses. The
dollar amount may be great enough to allow an individual or family to deduct the costs as medical or
dental expenses in their tax return, possibly offering
a larger refund (or a lower tax bill).

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In order to deduct medical expenses, supporting
documents are required. For special needs families,
it’s not as simple as taking out a few files from the
file cabinet. Sometimes, it’s the entire file cabinet!
Mileage logs, statements, gas receipts, prescription
paperwork, and other documents may be needed to
receive the medical expense tax deduction.
If you are overwhelmed with medical expense paperwork, it may be time for a new approach. Ask
yourself:
• Do I know where most of my receipts are?
• Do I know which expenses are reimbursed
through my insurer?
• Is my child’s (or my) medical treatment or procedure tax deductible?
• Do I have a Health Savings Account or Flexible
Spending Account? Am I properly reimbursing
my medical expenses to those accounts?
• Am I keeping a medical mileage log?
• Should I place my medical documents in a file
cabinet or portable file folders?
• Most importantly: Am I organizing medical expenses consistently (daily, weekly, or monthly)?
Let me give you an example. My son is on a prescribed medical diet. The diet does not allow wheat,
so we replace that ingredient with almond flour.
These are the steps I take as part of my medical food
expense organizing system:
1. I note the mileage from my home to the market.
2. I purchase the almond flour and any other medical food items on my son’s diet.
3. I make sure to get a receipt. I place it in my purse.
4. I walk to a quiet area of the market, take out
my receipt, a highlighter, and a small,
plastic accordion file folder.

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