agent orange benifits/tax rebate

[steve1245]

I have a client who has spin bifida and receives the agent orange benifit. Does anyone know if this is qualified income for the tax reabate?
Thanks
Steve

[Koss]

Agent Orange

Jeez, that's a first... Agent Orange benefits.

Better get a copy of the check stub, or the most recent benefits determination letter.

If it is simply a specific type of disabled veterans' benefits, then it will qualify for the stimulus payment.

If it's something else, then it is probably not considered qualifying income for purposes of the stim payment. And it just might be something else.

I was born in 1968. But I've done enough reading to know that Agent Orange was a chemical defoliant used during the Viet Nam conflict. Almost anyone who was exposed to it is, by definition, a Viet Nam veteran.

But that doesn't mean it's veterans' benefits.

There is a possibility that your client is getting some sort of totally nontaxable settlement benefits from the private sector company that made the stuff... Or some sort of special fund that was set up and is administered by a government or nonprofit agency. If that's what it is, then it's not veterans' benefits.

I'm thinking of things like Black Lung benefits for coal miners, and certain funds that have been set up to compensate people exposed to asbestos...

Burton

[JSLATER]

I have a client who receives the Agent Orange benefit and he receives a direct deposit each month. It is non taxable and according to him when he applied for it, it is not considered a veterans' benefit. So in his case, and I underline his case, we do not report it nor would I deem it qualified income for the rebate. All I know about it, is that a fund was established for those exposed to Agent Orange. I would think, in your case, the income level is low and you would need to have the benefit as qualified income for the rebate. Maybe you can research it through where your client signed up for it. I am almost positive my client went through the VA. He was already receiving veterans' benefits when he found out about the fund.

[S T]

Va

What I have seen on my retired military, is that retired military dept (DFAS?)issues a statement and then shows what is VA offset out of the military benefit as it is non taxable and not included in the t/p taxable military benefit. So it would show something, and I would think through VA.

So your t/p might have to do some homework in determining if in fact a VA payment that might qualify for the stimulus refund. He is probably on direct deposit so you wouldn't have a check to look at, but the t/p should be able to make the phone call.

My mother in law receives VA benefits on her deceased husband's account, but no statement is ever issued.

Sandy

[gkaiseril]

Medical Retirement

The U.S. Government issues two type of Uniformed Services retirements, Regular and Medical. The regular are taxable and tne Medical are for medical disablities cuased by service in the Uniformed Services. and are not taxacle. A reiterd Uniformed Service member can recieve both types of retirement depending on the percentage of the disability.

Uniformed Services includes the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy (including the U.S. Marines), and the U.S. Ari Force as well as the U.S. Coast Guard (Department of Transportation) and the commissined officers of the U.S. Public Health Service.