Dec 19, 2017
As the Congress debates the final touches to its proposed tax overhaul, the $250 tax deduction for educators survives another day.
Educators in the U.S. often get the short-end of the stick: long hours, low pay, micromanaging administrators.
Well, thanks to House Republicans who just passed their version of the proposed tax bill, educators can breathe a very small sigh of relief.
The House version now retains, rather than scraps, the existing $250 tax deduction for eligible educators (the current Senate version wants to double it) – of little benefit to most U.S. educators.
According to a 2016 Scholastic teacher survey, teachers nationwide spend on average $530 each year on out-of-pocket school supplies. Teachers at high-poverty schools are left an even larger burden, spending on average 40% more out-of-pocket. Further complicating matters, since the deduction effectively reduces taxable income, most teachers only see a return of around $40.
With one less (albeit minor) battle over, educators still await the final outcome of Congress’ proposed tax bill – and the potential headaches for state and local funding of K-12 public education.
Stay tuned.
banner image from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/12/19/569989782/how-much-do-teachers-spend-on-classroom-supplies
How Much Do Teachers Spend on Classroom Supplies? https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/12/19/569989782/how-much-do-teachers-spend-on-classroom-supplies
5 Things to Know About the (Still Intact) Teacher Tax Deduction https://www.the74million.org/5-things-to-know-about-the-still-intact-teacher-tax-deduction/
