Our office routinely represents professionals on disability benefits claims arising out of private disability benefits policies. One issue which routinely arises is the production of tax returns.
Herbert M. Hill, P.A. has represented professionals such as medical doctors, dentists, orthodontists, optometrists, podiatrists, psychologists, veterinarians, lawyers, engineers, and accountants. They all have been requested the production of tax returns.
Insurance companies will routinely ask for tax returns and, in support of the request, citing the need to verify the amount commonly referred to as “pre-disability earnings.” Legitimately, questions about unnecessary invasion of private matters become an area of concern. By filing the claim for benefits, you have not necessarily agreed to allow the insurance company’s representative to comb through your financial information. However, there is a sensitive balance which must be made in view of the insurance company’s legitimate inquiries, as long as it is appropriately limited to the need to verify earnings from the insured professional endeavor and the loss thereof.
Some clients view the matter as one not of great concern while others may have a different view. This office does not take a “cookie-cutter” approach to the problem, instead, choosing to analyze the issue on an individual case by case basis. The returns will have to be reviewed by the undersigned and then the discussion will be had about the best approach to take in responding to the insurance company’s request.
Please keep in mind that the foregoing is not intended as legal advice applicable to any individual person’s unique legal situation. Its sole purpose is to give a general idea of the existing status of the law as it applies to the point of law addressed above. You cannot rely on the foregoing as legal advice. You cannot make legal decisions based on its contents. If you have questions arising out of this point of law on the production of tax returns, you should contact an attorney who routinely handles claims involving policies of disability insurance. The law offices of Herbert M. Hill, P.A. handles such cases and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your case with you, at no charge. You can contact me at 407-839-0005 or at hmh@herbertmhill.com.
If you would like, after discussing your case, we can set a conference. That conference would be free of charge and you would be under no obligation to hire me nor would you feel any pressure from me to do so.
Herbert M. Hill, P.A. is a law firm located in Orlando, Florida with a practice extending throughout the state of Florida and the southeastern part of the United States. Areas of practice include disability and employee benefit claims of all sorts. The firm handles any claims arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (known and referred to as “ERISA”) for disability benefits, medical benefits, retirement benefits of any sort, including pension, 401k, termination agreements or the like as well as claims arising under private disability policies.
