Updated May 21, 2016
I realize that I plug the Missouri Tax credits quite a bit, but when you’re choosing a charity, they really give you the best bang for your buck. You don’t just get a federal income tax deduction, you also get a 50% tax credit to offset your Missouri state income tax liability. The other thing that I really like about the Missouri Tax Credits is that the money you donate to these charities is staying right here in Missouri, helping our friends and neighbors. It’s a win/win/win situation.
Today I’m going to talk about the Center for Head Injury Services. The Center serves over 800 people each year who have head injuries or other cognitive disabilities. Their programs include employment assessment, job placement and day services.
The Missouri tax credits available fall under the categories of Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits and Youth Opportunity Tax Credits (YOP). It’s available to businesses or individuals who contribute $500 or more to the organization.
Charities that qualify for Missouri Tax Credits have already been pre-screened by the state and meet pretty strict requirements about how they spend your money. The idea behind these grants is that a well run non-profit organization can provide these valuable services better than the state can.
So why is the Center for Head Injury Services so important? Many reasons. Did you realize that over 2 million people suffer from brain injuries every year? And what most people don’t realize is that brain injuries can cause permanent limitations and chronic health conditions that require long term support. Brain injuries aren’t like a disease that can be cured. The Center for Head Injury Services is a comprehensive resource to all types of head injury victims and their families.
They provide adult day care and therapy for persons with severe injuries and vocational and employment services to persons with less severe injuries. They also provide counseling to families having trouble adjusting to disability issues. They serve people with all types of head injuries whether its from a car accident, a stroke or an aneurysm. Bottom line: they do good work.
Even if you’re unable to qualify for a Missouri Tax credit, a donation to the Center for Head Injury would be money well spent.
One final thing, the Center for Head Injury Services has an equipment loan program. If you have equipment that you are no longer using, they could use crutches, walkers, canes, wheel chairs, bath & shower chairs and benches, commodes, and other types of rehabilitative equipment. Donating these items doesn’t qualify for the Missouri Tax Credit, but it would certainly be a good use of these items. You also might be able to qualify for a deduction on your federal return for “non-cash” contributions.
To learn more about the Center for Head Injury Services, click here: https://www.headinjuryctr-stl.org/
Christopher,
That’s a really good question. The tax credits I wrote about here are for donations do an organization, but there are deductions for disabilities that I wrote about elsewhere: http://robergtaxsolutions.com/2011/02/tax-tips-for-persons-with-different-abilities/
I don’t know that an eating disorder would qualify as a disability for tax purposes, but it certainly would count as a medical deduction.
Are eating issues qualified for disability tax credit perks?