I recently had an opportunity to help one of my former students and his mother in a way that changed their lives for the better. The former student was a young man I had mentored in home room. After talking with him I discovered that his mother was disabled. He said she never filed taxes because she was on disability. He asked if he could claim his brother because he contributed a great deal to his support. I called the student’s mother and had her come in for an interview. She explained that she had not filed taxes since going on disability in 2009.

At that time, she had consulted another tax preparer and they had told her she did not have to file. I talked with Mr. Slaughter about the situation and he explained that if she received W-2 income as a result of her disability, it was considered earned income and she could receive EIC (Earned Income Credit). She had saved her paper work and sure enough she was eligible for EIC. I explained the situation to her and we filed her for 2011, 2012, and 2013. She was so excited because she needed the money to repair her teeth and have a hip replaced. She called the office when she received her checks to let us know they had arrived. She was praising the Almighty and Liberty Tax Service®. I appreciate the opportunity to make a difference.