New Michigan law could allow organ donors to claim tax credit for nonmedical expenses

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Living organ donors in Michigan may have a little more support thanks to new legislation coming out of Lansing. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law Wednesday, allowing donors to claim a one-time tax credit of up to $10,000 for nonmedical expenses. 

The law is huge for the people who are giving their life-saving organs, one of their kidneys or a part of their liver to people who might otherwise die because of organ failure. They often need help covering expenses like childcare, transportation, and lost income, which typically fall outside of insurance coverage.

There are over 104,000 people across the US waiting for an organ transplant, with most needing kidneys. The new law could be life-changing for people considering donations. According to Gift of Life communications Vice President Patrick Wells-O’Brien, there are more than 2,200 people in Michigan who are waiting for a kidney.

"Organ donation is one of those things that relies on somebody being a hero, and saying yes, most of us know being an organ donor from being an organ donor on our license for after we die," he said. "But there's another way to be an organ donor, you can donate a portion of your liver, you can donate one of your kidneys." 

Living donations offer crucial options to patients, with fewer complications and longer-lasting outcomes compared to deceased donor organs. In 2023, about one in four kidney transplants nationwide came from a living donor, including about 150 in Michigan. 

The hope is that this new law will inspire more Michiganders to consider becoming donors and help close the gap between patients who are waiting for word that someone is willing to help them stay alive.