BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey announced that thousands of Personal Care Attendants will no longer be subject to state or federal income taxes, which is projected to save them $5,000 or more per year. PCAs are health care professionals who help people with disabilities keep their independence by aiding with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing. The exemptions apply to PCAs who live in the same home as the person they care for.
“We are working every day to identify ways to make life more affordable for the people of Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey. “Personal Care Attendants do incredibly challenging work to care for the most vulnerable among us, and they shouldn’t have to also worry about being able to afford to meet their own basic needs. We want highly qualified, dedicated individuals to pursue and stay in careers as PCAs, but they need to be able to afford to do so. I’m proud of Secretary Mahaniah and his team for pursuing this ruling that will save PCAs thousands of dollars every year and grateful for the PCA Workforce Council’s efforts to support our hardworking PCAs.”
The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, through the PCA Workforce Council, requested a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to confirm that income earned by PCAs for providing MassHealth-covered PCA services to MassHealth members who live with them qualifies as “Difficulty of Care” payments. With that ruling, such income is now exempt from both federal and state income tax, which will save many PCAs $5,000 or more per year…