Allows Teachers to Deduct More Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District introduced the Tax Relief for Educators Act today in the House of Representatives to expand and extend the teacher tax deduction.  The bill increases the amount teachers and educators can deduct from their taxes for out-of-pocket expenses they incur when teaching our nation’s students.

“Never before have our nation’s teachers been asked to do so much with so little as education budgets are stretched thin and schools are cutting back on supplies and resources,” Congresswoman Titus said.  “This legislation will provide our educators with an important tax break at a time when they doing more with less and show our support for their commitment and dedication to our students.  Extending the tax deduction for rising out-of-pocket expenses will reward our educators who go the extra mile.”

Specifically, the Tax Relief for Educators Act makes improvements to the teacher tax deduction by making the deduction permanent and increasing the current amount from $250 to $500 while indexing it for inflation.  The teacher tax deduction has not increased since it was introduced in 2002.  The bill also extends the deduction beyond K-12 classroom teachers to include other educators, such as principals, aides, and early childhood teachers.

The bill is supported by a number of organizations including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the National Head Start Association.

“We applaud Congresswoman Titus’ ongoing commitment to Nevada’s educators,” said Nevada State Education Association President Lynn Warne.  “Our members consistently dig deeper into their pockets to buy materials and supplies needed to get the job done.  Doubling the IRS deduction will be very helpful to our teachers and support professionals who spend their day in the classrooms.”

Georgia L. Taton, principal of Kenny C. Guinn Middle School and a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ Board of Directors, said: “As the instructional leaders of schools, principals are called to contribute much to the education of America’s students.  In fact, research has shown that school leadership is second only to classroom instruction in contributing to students’ success.  Unfortunately, principals are often not reimbursed for the out-of-pocket expenses they incur as they collaboratively work with teachers, students, and community leaders to build and maintain a culture of learning and excellence in their schools.  I commend Congresswoman Dina Titus for introducing the Tax Relief for Educators Act.  This important legislation would help to ease financial burdens for principals, teachers, and other school personnel in a time of difficulty and uncertainty, and reward these educators for their commitment to student achievement.”

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Tags: education, tax relief