[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 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 <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 nation’s blind. Every 
day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.




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