topic My wife was disabled due to a work injury but has yet to receive any money. Can we claim her disability? in After you file

My wife was disabled due to a work injury but has yet to receive any money. Can we claim her disability?

jordantaxes2002 — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:13:32 GMT

I need to claim my wife as disabled. How do I do that?

Re: My wife was disabled due to a work injury but has yet to receive any money. Can we claim her disability?

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 21:37:29 GMT

First of all you do not claim your spouse as a dependent, whether she works or not, since a spouse is never claimed as a dependent.

As for disability--

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, NY, VE. There may be others.

Re: My wife was disabled due to a work injury but has yet to receive any money. Can we claim her disability?

DoninGA — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 21:37:49 GMT

There is nowhere on a tax return to indicate a taxpayer as being disabled. Unless you are reporting Child and Dependent Care expenses.

Re: My wife was disabled due to a work injury but has yet to receive any money. Can we claim her ...

ColeenD3 — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 21:53:35 GMT

Disability is not a tax event, except in the issue of a qualifying child. There is no tax benefit. You might apply for early Social Security or pension, but that is not through the IRS.