NEWS & INFORMATION

Adoption Tax Credit Victory

Now a credit and a refund

March 01,2010 / Martha Osborn

With the signing of the new health care bill, adoptive parents received some very welcome news. Not only will the adoption tax credit be extended until December 2011, but it has also been increased from $12,170 to $13,170 for adoptions occurring after January 2010. And for the first time, the credit will now be refundable. Families may receive a refund for documented expenses for the adoption of their child.

What this means to adoptive families:

The best news: This new tax law means that adoptive parents may apply up to $13,170 of their adoption expenses toward their taxes owed, thereby decreasing the amount owed overall by this amount. However, the news gets even better. For the first time, families may be getting cash back from the IRS for their adoption expenses. That's right, the credit may now be taken as a refund for the first time. In the event that the couple owes less than the tax credit amount stated, they may receive some or all of the balance as a refund on their Federal taxes.
The tax credit is important to both international and domestic adoptive families, but it's greatest beneficiaries are the children who will now have permanent families thanks to adoption being more affordable. Many groups and individuals have successfully lobbied to help extend this tax credit beyond its original expiration date of December 2010, and are still seeking to make the tax credit permanent. As we celebrate the extension of the deadline to December 2011, we must also remain vigilant in seeking to make this legislation a lasting gift to the children who wait.

4/22/2010- BIG NEWS Haiti is now OPEN

Haiti has re-opened to International adoption and our agency is working to find families for many children who have been officially identified as orphans in need of families. Please contact us through our information request page and we will be happy to assist you. Thank you for your patience as this country has worked to re-open this program so that children may have forever families.

For more info please fill out our information pack or email info@toladopt.org

Bulgarian Ministry of Justice Visited Oregon

It is with great pleasure that Tree of Life welcomed several members of the Bulgarian Minister of Justice to Portland! As many of you are aware, Mrs. Ilonka Raichinova, has worked very hard to find families for the Bulgarian orphans: it is with her support that she had authorized this contingent of representatives to honor us with a visit. Since taking over as the Minister of Justice, she has streamlined the matching process and removed many restrictions that made Bulgarian adoptions cumbersome and it is with this support that we have planned to receive these officials.

This group made a rare trip to the United States and their visit in part consisted of continued talks on streamlining the adoption process in order to place more children into adoptive homes, as well as a social visit with many of the families that have adopted from Bulgaria through Tree of Life. You can read more about her visit in our Summer 2009 Newsletter.

NEWS

1/13/2010 Haiti earthquake: relief effort

7/14/2009 - Download our Summer 2009 Newsletter

11/26/2008 - Download our December newsletter

6/17/2007 - Download our June Newsletter

3/5/2008 - Download our March Newsletter

3/5/2008 - Download interview with Deputy MOJ in Bulgaria

1/13/2008 - Download our January / February Newsletter

12/6/2007 - Download our December Newsletter

10/6/2007 - Download our October Newsletter

9/7/2007 - Download our September Newsletter

8/6/2007 - Download our August Newsletter