Pay In Vets' Work Program Ruled Tax-free

[allan]

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Pay in Vets' Work Program Ruled Tax-Free

Ruling on Compensated Work Therapy Retroactive Three Years

WASHINGTON (January 7, 2008) -- Payments provided to veterans under two

specific programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) -- the

Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) and Incentive Therapy (IT) programs --

are no longer taxable, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Veterans who paid tax on these benefits in the past three years can

claim refunds.

Recipients of CWT and IT payments no longer receive a Form 1099

(Miscellaneous Income) from VA. Veterans who paid tax on these benefits

in tax years 2004, 2005 or 2006 can claim a refund by filing an amended

tax return using IRS Form 1040X. Nearly 19,000 veterans received CWT

benefits last year, while 8,500 received IT benefits.

The IRS agreed with a U.S. Tax Court decision earlier in 2007 that CWT

payments are tax-free veterans benefits. In so doing, the agency

reversed a 1965 ruling that these payments were taxable and required VA

to report payments as taxable income.

The CWT and IT programs provide assistance to veterans unable to work

and support themselves. Under the CWT program, VA contracts with

private industry and the public sector for work by veterans, who learn

new job skills, strengthen successful work habits and regain a sense of

self-esteem and self-worth. Veterans are compensated by VA for their

work and, in turn, improve their economic and social well-being.

Under the IT program, seriously disabled veterans receive payments for

providing services at about 70 VA medical centers.

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