topic Would being diagnosed as having adhd and depression count as a disability? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Would being diagnosed as having adhd and depression count as a disability?

selynarinri — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:01:26 GMT

We are going to the doctors monthly and he has been on off going to therapy

Re: Would being diagnosed as having adhd and depression count as a disability?

Critter-3 — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:29:13 GMT

For whom? An adult or a child ?

Re: Would being diagnosed as having adhd and depression count as a disability?

selynarinri — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 19:30:09 GMT

Sorry. It is for a child

Re: Would being diagnosed as having adhd and depression count as a disability?

JohnW152 — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 20:00:24 GMT

Please clarify – what’s your purpose for asking?

There are varying definitions of disability, for federal tax purposes and others which differ from state to state.

What tax breaks are you trying to find out about?

Is there a state credit or benefit you’re looking at?

Or the federal Credit for the Elderly or Disabled, perhaps?

Knowing this would help narrow down the definition that might apply to your child.

Re: Would being diagnosed as having adhd and depression count as a disability?

xmasbaby0 — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 20:20:01 GMT

Do I get a credit or deduction if my child is disabled?

If your child is older than 12 and you need to pay someone to take care of him while you work, you can say he is disabled and you can still get the childcare credit on your federal return. Or if he is 19 or older you may still be able to claim him as a qualifying child dependent on your federal return.

Aside from those things, there is no federal tax advantage to saying that your child is disabled. Your state tax laws might be different.

For disabled adults:

There is an extra amount added to your standard deduction if you are legally blind. Your federal return does not provide any other credits or deductions for saying you are disabled, with one possible exception.

There is a credit for the Elderly and Disabled which is so small that very few people benefit from it—-it has not been updated/increased by Congress for decades.

ELDERLY OR DISABLED CREDIT https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-qualify-for-the-credit-for-the-elderly-or-disabled

There are some states that provide various credits to elderly/disabled folks, so watch for that when you prepare your state return. The states that I know of that have anything for elderly/disabled are AZ, CT, DE, IA, MO, ND, NJ, NY, VE. There may be others.