Even with his qualifications, Lammert Stavast found submitting disability tax returns complicated. Now, he is working to make it easier for everyone
When my son was born in 2017 and later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, my life changed in ways I could never have prepared for. Like many parents, my focus was on therapy appointments, specialists, assistive devices and learning how to navigate a world that suddenly felt far more complex. What surprised me most was not the medical journey, but the administrative one.
I am a qualified chartered accountant and tax practitioner. I work with tax legislation every day. Yet, when it came time to claim disability- related medical tax credits, I struggled. The rules felt unclear, the paperwork intimidating, and the process emotionally exhausting. I remember thinking, If I’m finding this difficult, how many other parents and individuals must be feeling completely overwhelmed? That question stayed with me.
Disability tax relief exists for a reason: Living with a disability, or caring for someone who does, comes with ongoing, unavoidable costs. These are not “luxuries”. They are necessities that allow people to live with dignity, independence and opportunity. Our tax system recognises this, but the reality is that many people never access what they are legally entitled to.
Some don’t know they qualify. Some are afraid of doing it wrong. Others simply don’t have the time or energy to fight another system.
In 2020, that realisation led to the official launch of YourDisabilityTax. The goal was simple: To help individuals and families understand the disability tax framework and to assist them in claiming what the law already allows – no shortcuts, no risk, just clarity and support.
Since then, we’ve helped clients recover more than R4 million in legitimate tax refunds. Behind every number is a family who could redirect funds towards therapy, care, education or simply breathing room.
Over the coming months, I’ll be writing a series of articles focused on disability tax – not in complicated tax language, but in practical, real-world terms. We’ll unpack who qualifies, which expenses are often overlooked, how medical assessments work, and what to do if SARS queries your claim. My hope is that these articles reduce uncertainty and replace it with confidence.
Disability already demands resilience. Claiming what you are entitled to should not demand courage as well.
