Preparing Your Alzheimer’s Parent’s Taxes

You may already have done this, but then perhaps you haven’t…filed your Alzheimer’s parent’s taxes.  As the primary caregiver, you may be helping with your parent’s finances and taxes and possibly their spouse’s. 

                         You may have sole responsibility, as I did with my mom.  I had to make financial decisions and make sure her taxes were prepared properly.  Since hers were rather complex, with business she’d owned with my dad before he died, we engaged an accountant. 

This worked out well in my mother’s case.  He was very knowledgeable and was helpful, too, as the business affairs wound down and Mother lived in a nursing home.  Also, I moved my mom from the state where she’d always lived to the one where I resided.  Having the accountant involved helped here, too.  However, he also taught me to take over more of Mother’s business bookkeeping so he didn’t have to do so much and thus didn’t cost us so much.

Generally tax affairs for an elderly person aren’t too complex.  However, if they do have a business, own property by themselves or jointly, inherit when a spouse dies, there are factors that an accountant can aid you with. 

Also, if a neutral party is involved in your parent’s finances and taxes generally other family members often are more willing to accept their decisions than yours.