OKLAHOMA CITY — Tulsan Karry Ward, one of about 490,000 family caregivers in Oklahoma, is part of a silent army.
And a bill making its way through the Oklahoma Legislature would provide a small tax credit to those who take care of a loved one.
Ward is a physical therapist assistant with LIFE Senior Services in Tulsa. She is a caregiver to her grandparents and also took care of her mother, brother and father before he died.
Home care improves a person’s quality of life and reduces stress on loved ones, she said.
House Bill 1368, by Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, would provide a $2,000 tax credit for the care and support of an eligible family member. The credit would rise to $3,000 if the person is a veteran or has dementia.
Ward acknowledged that caregivers save the state money by taking care of loved ones at home rather than enlisting the help of a nursing home.
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“This is a good bill,” West said. “This is a bill that is needed. It is economically good for the state, but, more importantly, this is good for people and their families.”
West also carried the measure last year, but it did not secure approval.
It has been approved by the House this year and is now headed to the Senate floor.
“I wish it would have happened long ago,” Ward said. “It is just such an important need.”
The measure is dubbed the “Caring for Caregivers Act.”
The tax credits would cover alterations to a residence, the purchase or lease of equipment such as durable medical equipment, hiring a home care aide, adult day care, health care equipment and technology, among other things.
The person being cared for must be 62 or older. The caregiver must have a federal adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 for an individual and less than $100,000 for a couple filing jointly.
Ward said the tax credit “just barely touches what is necessary.”
“In 2021, about 38 million family caregivers in the United States provided an estimated 36 billion hours of care to an adult with limitations in daily activities,” according to an AARP report. “The estimated economic value of their unpaid contributions was approximately $600 billion.”
Eileen Bradshaw is president and CEO of LIFE Senior Services, a Tulsa-based nonprofit that provides comprehensive services for seniors and their caregivers.
“I don’t know that the state of Oklahoma could afford to offer a tax credit that is equal to what your typical caregiver expends,” Bradshaw said. But “I think this is a great starting point.”
If the bill is passed and signed into law, the law could be amended later to increase the amount of the tax credit.
AARP Oklahoma has launched a media campaign in an effort to secure passage of the caregiver tax credit.
“We are excited it made it this far,” said Sean Voskuhl, state director for AARP Oklahoma.
Those with an income no greater than $250,000 could get $7,500 for a private school student and $1,000 for a home school child.
The tax credit is not the only one proposed this legislative session. With billions of dollars in the state’s savings, Oklahoma lawmakers are also pondering offering tax credits for those who send their children to private schools or home school them, cutting taxes, and offering millions of dollars in incentives to attract industries to the state.
Senate Republicans amended a House bill that would now provide $7,500 in tax credits for private schools for parents earning up to $250,000. The measure sets the amount at $1,000 for parents who home school.
