We hope to see more of this.

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has proposed a two-year, $102 million tax relief package that will partially help people who are taking care of the elderly. Her package also has provisions for protecting retirement income.

Here’s how it breaks down.

An expanded tax credit for adult care or childcare to a maximum of $5,000 per dependent each year.

A tax exemption on the first $25,000 in income from any source for retirees 65 and older.

A tax credit of up to 50 percent of the costs of modifying homes for elderly or disabled family members.  Maximum credit would be $2500 for singles and $5,000 for couples.

It’s a start.  However, Gov. Lingle is facing fierce opposition from  some in the House and Senate because they claim it’s too much and it will take away from other programs for the general public.

Here’s my  opinion.

Most of these families are paying very high taxes.  They need to be able to keep as much money as possible to take care of their parents and the elderly without public assistance.  Many families want to be independent and want to make their own decisions without the government interfering.  It has been proven over and over it is much cheaper to maintain the elderly in their own homes than to institutionalize them.  In the long run, a great deal of money will be saved.

Read Hawaii Tax Relief Measures Proposed   

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