You are asked in Personal Info if you or your spouse was legally blind as of December 31`, 2016. If you answer yes, then it increases your standard deduction.
Higher Standard Deduction for Blindness
If you are blind on the last day of the year and you don't itemize deductions, you are entitled to a higher standard deduction.
Not totally blind. If you aren't totally blind, you must get a certified statement from an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) that:
1 You can't see better than 20/200 in the better eye with glasses or contact lenses, or
2 Your field of vision is 20 degrees or less.
If your eye condition isn't likely to improve beyond these limits, the statement should include this fact. Keep the statement in your records.
If your vision can be corrected beyond these limits only by contact lenses that you can wear only briefly because of pain, infection, or ulcers, you can take the higher standard deduction for blindness if you otherwise qualify.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
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