April 15 can be a stressful time for individuals as they struggle with filing federal and state income taxes. Those who are receiving workers’ compensation or Social Security Disability may wonder whether or not there benefits are taxable.
The best approach is to talk to a qualified tax specialist, such as an accountant or a tax lawyer, to clarify your questions; however, the IRS provides an Internet website that is very helpful and informative. The address for this website is http://www.irs.gov/
The website has been recently redesigned to be more user-friendly and is a great resource to find information on U.S. tax law. The website also incorporates a Spanish version to assist Spanish-speaking persons who are inquiring about tax issues.
The site also has links to forms and publications produced by the IRS which is quite handy. Persons who are receiving disability benefits may wish to consult with Publication 907 that provides useful information on how income items, which are of particular interest to people with disabilities, may be taxed or may not be taxed. The link to this publication is http://www.irs.gov/publications/p907/ar02.html
The old adage that “life has two certainties, death and taxes” is true. The stress related to the tax issue may be minimized by education. The IRS site is very helpful in this regard.