Victory: Tax Credit Becomes Law
Helps those with cancer and other serious illnesses
The Nassau County Civic Association's five year effort to pass a Cancer tax credit for taxpayers and their dependents became a reality. The credit was included in the President's Tax Reform package passed by Congress and signed into law by President earlier today. The provision a "non refundable credit of $500 for non-child dependents to help defray the cost of caring for other dependents" remained in the final House-Senate conference. The credit can be used for medical expenses and or elder care for dependents seventeen or older. The credit does not cover child dependents under seventeen as the separate child tax credit was significantly increased.
The need for this credit cannot be over stated. Those who suffer from cancer and other debilitating serious illnesses incur tremendous costs associated with medical care and other related costs. Under the Obama Care law, deductions were limited to those expenses exceeding 10% of one adjusted gross income meaning any amount over the 10% was deductable. While the percentage was lowed to 7.5% under the Tax Reform package, this credit gives some immediate relief to thousands of Americans without having to reach that still significant threshold. Addressing real issues that are very personal to the middle class in not only moral, its the right thing to do.
Efforts to pass a similar tax credit in New York have failed to move forward. Bills were introduced in the New York State Senate by Senator Venditto (R-Massapequa) with a co-sponsor Senator Martins (R-Mineola) and in the Assembly by Assemblyman Ra (R-Franklin Square). We have reached out to Senate Majority Leader Flannigan (R-East Northport) and Assembly Leader Heastie (D-Bronx), however they have taken no action to allow the bill to advance out of committee. It says a lot about their priorities and what their definition of compassion is versus how the President views compassion. Action speaks louder than words.
We want to thank the President for listening and for his leadership . We would like to thank presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway for her dedication to help those in need.
We would like to thank Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY) for ensuring that the credit remained in the final bill, Mike Long and Daniel Donovan for standing up for those who need our help, former NYS Senators Mike Venditto & Jack Martin for introducing the bill in the NYS Senate and Assemblyman Ed Ra for introducing the bill in the NYS Assembly.
We would like to thank the one person that was behind it all, whose work is in everything we do, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.