Why does the tax form ask if taxpayer is blind but not other disabilities?

The blindness checkbox actually goes way back in the tax code and serves a specific purpose. Blind taxpayers get an additional standard deduction amount on top of their regular standard deduction. For 2023, blind taxpayers get an extra $1,850 if they're single or head of household (and $1,500 if married). This isn't really about disabilities in general - it's specifically about blindness because the tax code recognizes that being blind typically creates additional living expenses. Other disabilities are handled differently in the tax code, usually through medical expense deductions, disability income exclusions, or credits like the Credit for the Elderly or Disabled (Schedule R).

I had the same question when doing taxes for my aunt last year! I found a really helpful tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that answered this exact question for me and explained all the disability-related deductions. It scanned her medical documentation and identified additional deductions beyond just the blindness one that I had no idea about. They explained that while blindness gets a checkbox, there are actually many other disability provisions hidden in the tax code that aren't as obvious.

Just wanted to report back - I tried taxr.ai after my question above and wow! They found over $4,700 in deductions for my brother's condition that we missed last year. Turns out there's a whole section of medical expense deductions that apply to his specific situation that weren't obvious at all. They even explained how we could file an amended return for last year to claim what we missed. The blindness checkbox is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disability-related tax benefits!

For anyone struggling to get answers from the IRS about disability-related tax questions - I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and actually got through to a real person at the IRS in under 15 minutes. They have this service where they navigate the IRS phone system for you (demo here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). I had questions about disability tax issues that weren't covered in the basic forms and needed to talk to a specialist. The IRS agent was super helpful once I got through and explained several deductions beyond just the blindness checkbox.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr from my comment above. After posting that skeptical comment, I was so desperate with my own situation that I tried it anyway. I had been trying for THREE WEEKS to reach someone about my complicated disability-related tax question that went beyond the blindness checkbox. Used their service yesterday afternoon and got connected to an IRS specialist in 17 minutes. The agent walked me through several credits and deductions specifically for my situation. I'm honestly shocked it worked so well.

Fun historical fact: The additional deduction for blindness dates back to the Revenue Act of 1943! I did a research paper on disability tax law in college. The blindness provision came about because lawmakers recognized the additional costs blind people faced during WWII when many were working in factories and needed special accommodations. They've just never expanded it to cover other disabilities in the same way, instead creating separate provisions for them.

Just want to add that if you're caring for a disabled dependent (even if not blind), you might qualify for different tax benefits like the Credit for Other Dependents or potentially even the Child Tax Credit depending on the situation. Never assume that just because there's no specific checkbox, there aren't benefits available!

This is such a great question! I work as a tax preparer and see this confusion all the time. The blindness checkbox exists because it triggers a specific additional standard deduction that was written into the tax code decades ago. But you're absolutely right that it seems arbitrary compared to other disabilities. What many people don't realize is that there are actually tons of other disability-related tax benefits scattered throughout the code - they're just not as obvious as a simple checkbox. Things like the Disabled Access Credit for business owners, various medical expense deductions, and even some lesser-known credits for specific conditions. The problem is that these benefits are buried in different sections and forms, making them much harder to find and claim. I always tell my clients with disabilities (beyond blindness) to keep detailed records of all their disability-related expenses because there are often deductions available that aren't immediately obvious from the standard forms.