This Year's Tax Cut Cost Some Gold Star Families Dearly

For some, tax season brings a small boon in the form of a refund. For others, it can be a source of stress. But Theresa Jones sees it as an annual reminder of her husband, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Landon Jones, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sept. 22, 2013. Since then, Jones and her two sons, ages 5 and 11, have received monthly compensation in the form of survivor benefits — one allotment through the Department of Defense, which is taxable, and another through the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is not taxed. Military widows and widowers who put their benefits in their child's name saw a significant spike in their taxes this year. To make matters worse, Jones, along with three other military widows, said they were not aware how much their taxes would increase and were unable to budget or otherwise prepare for the hike in cost. Read more about the issue on Military.com.