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NEA secures continued tax break for educators

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the NEA, the $250 tax deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expense incurred by teachers and paraprofessionals will be extended for the 2004-2005 tax years. (This is part of the House- and Senate-passed legislation, H.R. 1308, extending marriage penalty relief and the child tax credit.)

In 2002, Congress passed legislation giving teachers and paraprofessionals a $250 federal tax deduction for out-of-pocket expenses for instructional materials and classroom supplies. The legislation represented an acknowledgment - for the first time - that teachers and paraprofessionals are spending their own money to equip their classrooms. This modest tax break expired at the end of 2003.

NEA and some lawmakers worked throughout the year to reinstate the deduction. The Association will continue to work to make the deduction permanent and to expand eligible expenses to include professional development.

DON'T FORGET TO KEEP THOSE RECEIPTS! This deduction is for people who do NOT itemize. There are many items you can deduct around professional growth, etc. KNEA members can read useful tax tips and advice in the January edition of the KNEA Issues.

The tax bill also includes two other NEA victories - the extension of the Qualified Zone Academy Bond Program providing $400 million each year in 2004 and 2005 for school construction, and extension of a tax deduction for corporations that donate computers to public schools.

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