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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 11, 2025 Page 19 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 18 news announcements, freelance articles and courtesy photos from the community. Our deadline is 6 p.m. on Tuesday. If you have a story idea, an article or a photo to submit, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a message at 978-6837773. Or send your press release to me in the mail at PO Box 485, North Andover, MA 01845. Let us become your hometown newspaper. The Saugus Advocate is available in the Saugus Public Library, the Saugus Senior Center, Saugus Town Hall, local convenience stores and restaurants throughout town. Sa nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Who’s Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefi ts? Dear Savvy Senior, What do I need to do to get disGIANT IRIDESCENT BUBBLES: They soared over the Saugus Ironworks at one of the children’s events recently sponsored by Saugus Ironworks and the Saugus Public Library. The library’s diverse summer children’s events included fun at the Saugus Ironworks with Mr. Vinny The Bubble Guy. He had all the kids making giant bubbles and frolicking with his special bubble wands on June 26. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) ability benefi ts from Social Security? I’m 60 years old and have a medical condition that doesn’t allow me to work at my job anymore, but I’ve read that getting disability benefi ts is very diffi cult. Need Help Dear Need, Getting Social Security DisTHE SALT DEDUCTION INCREASE P resident Trump signed off on the big beautiful bill on July 4, 2025. This legislation contained many various provisions, not just tax provisions. However, one big tax provision was the increase in the SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction. Since the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act enacted in 2017, this deduction was limited to $10,000 as an itemized deduction on Schedule A. A taxpayer added up his or her state income taxes, excise taxes and real estate taxes in order to include on Schedule A. However, the amount actually deducted could not exceed $10,000. Many taxpayers pay far in excess of $10,000 in those types of taxes, especially for taxpayers in states such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and California. With the 2025 standard deduction at $30,000 for a married couple ($33,200 for a married couple if both are 65 years of age or older), with such a limit on the SALT deduction under the old law, many taxpayers would take the standard deduction because the total of their SALT deduction, charitable contributions, medical expenses and mortgage interest would not exceed the standard deduction. For a single person, the 2025 standard deduction is $15,000 ($17,000 if 65 years of age or older). This new law now allows taxpayers to claim up to $40,000 in SALT deductions thereby putting them in a better position to itemized their deductions. The SALT deduction for 2025 begins to phase out for taxpayers who have income of $500,000 or more. The $40,000 SALT deduction limit as well as the $500,000 income limit are increased by 1% per year up until December 31, 2029. For calendar year 2030, the SALT deduction will revert back to $10,000. The $40,000 SALT deduction is phased out as your income exceeds $500,000 by an amount equal to 30% of the excess income amount. As an example, if your 2025 income is $600,000, the phase out of the SALT deduction would be equal to 30% of $100,000, or $30,000, leaving you with a SALT deduction of only $10,000. The SALT deduction is completely phased out with income of $633,333 as $133,333 x 30% equals $40,000. It is diffi cult to claim medical expenses for most taxpayers as an itemized deduction as they must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income before you get to deduct one dollar worth of medical expenses. Prior to this most recent legislation, the vast majority of taxpayers ended up taking the standard deduction. This new bill will allow many more taxpayers to itemize their deductions on Schedule A. However, the state income deduction and real estate tax deduction will have to be higher than the standard deduction, unless there are charitable contributions and medical expenses that bring you over that threshold. The new bill also preserved the end-around for the state income tax deduction wherein many states enacted tax legislation that allows for pass through entities such as S Corporations and LLC’s to pay the state income tax based upon the earnings of the business and take a deduction on the federal return at the entity level. Then, the individual owner can take a tax credit on his or her personal return equal to 90% (in Massachusetts) of the state income taxes actually paid by the entity. We’ll just have to see how this all plays out this upcoming tax season after the fi rst of the year. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney,Certifi ed Public Accountant, Certifi ed Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation. ability Insurance benefi ts (SSDI) when you’re unable to work can indeed be challenging. Each year, approximately 2 million people apply for SSDI, but around two-thirds of them are denied, because most applicants fail to prove that they’re disabled and can’t work. Here are some steps you can take that can help improve your odds. Are You Disabled? The fi rst thing you need to fi nd out is if your health condition qualifi es you for Social Security disability benefi ts. u generally will be eligible only if you have a physical or mental impairment severe enough that it prevents you from working in your current, or past line of work, for at least a year. There is no such thing as a partial disability benefi t. If you’re fi t enough to work part-time, and you’re earning more than $1,620 ($2,700 if you’re blind) a month on average in 2025, your application will be denied. But, if you’re not working or are working but earning below those limits, your application may be considered. Your skills, education and work experience are factors too. Your application will be denied if your work history suggests that you could perform a less physically demanding job that your disability does not prevent you from doing. To help you determine if you’re eligible, use the SSA Benefi t Eligibility Screening Tool at SSAbest. benefi ts.gov. How to Apply If you believe you have a claim, your next step is to gather up your personal, fi nancial and medical information so you can be prepared and organized for the application process. You can apply either online at SSA.gov/disability or call 800-7721213 to make an appointment to apply at your local Social Security offi ce, or to set up an appointment for someone to take your claim over the phone. The whole process lasts about an hour. If you schedule an appointment, a “Disability Starter Kit” that will help you get ready for your interview will be mailed to you. If you apply online, the kit is available at SSA.gov/disability/ disability_starter_kits.htm. It currently takes six to eight months from the initial application to receive either an award or denial of benefi ts. The only exception is if you have a chronic illness that qualifi es you for a “compassionate allowance” (see SSA. gov/compassionateallowances), which fast tracks cases within weeks. If Social Security denies your initial application, you can appeal the decision, and you’ll be happy to know that roughly half of all cases that go through a round or two of appeals end with benefi ts being awarded. But the bad news is, with a huge backlog of people waiting, it can take another eight to 10 months or longer to appeal the decision, and another 15 months to get a hearing if reconsideration is denied. Get Help You can hire a representative to help you with your Social Security disability claim. By law, representatives can charge only 25 percent of past-due benefi ts up to a maximum of $9,200 if they win your case. It’s probably worth hiring someone at the start of the application process if your disability is something diffi cult to prove such as chronic pain. If, however, your disability is obvious, it might be worth initially working without a representative to avoid paying the fee. You can always hire a representative later if your initial application and fi rst appeal are denied. To fi nd a representative, check with the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (nosscr.org) or National Association of Disability Representatives (nadr.org). Or, if you’re low-income, contact the Legal Services Corporation (lsc.gov/ fi nd-legal-aid) for free assistance. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior

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