Homeschool teachers are responsible for finding curriculum, textbooks, and all the supplies they need to run their homeschool classroom. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can deduct on your taxes if you are a homeschool family.
*This is not legal advice. We recommend always contacting a tax consultant for any and all tax-related questions*
Homeschooling has so many great benefits for your kids, but being free is just not one of those things. I have read that the average homeschool family spends around $900 per student per year. If you are homeschooling three kids that’s $2,700 per year! Keep in mind that this is only an average and what you actually spend in the classroom is probably higher. Homeschool teachers are responsible for finding curriculum, textbooks, and all the supplies they need to run their homeschool classroom. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can deduct on your taxes if you are a homeschool family.
Federal Tax Breaks
You won’t find any tax deductions or credits specifically for homeschool families, but there are some tax breaks available to help. One of these tax breaks is that you can deduct the cost of some special education expenses such as tutors in specialized topics and the cost of tuition for special instruction. A second tax break is available through charitable contributions. If you make a cash donation to a nonprofit homeschool association, or you donate your old material to a nonprofit homeschool organization or library, you can deduct the value of these items from your federal taxes.
State Tax Credits
Five states in the US offer homeschool families to use a state tax credit on their income taxes. These are Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, and Minnesota. These vary from state to state but may help with expenses such as tuition, book or curriculum rental fees, grade books, and even workbooks. At this time, these are the only states that offer state tax credits for homeschool families, however, this could expand in the future.
Tax-Deferred 529 Savings Plans
For those of you who aren’t familiar with a 529 plan, these are savings plans designed to help families save for college and higher education expenses. Money that is deposited into these plans grow over time and are free of federal income taxes and when you withdraw money it is also tax-free. This money can be used for tuition and expenses associated with university or college. If you are planning on sending your children to college someday, this might be an option you might want to consider for you and your family.
The Child Tax Credit
One tax deduction that you may already be familiar with is the Child Tax Credit. This tax credit means that you can deduct money from what you owe in taxes for each dependent child in your household. For more information about the Child Tax Credit, refer to this article.
While there may not be many things that you can deduct on your taxes, I hope that this has at least given you a few ideas to help you recoup some of the money you spent on classroom supplies.
Author Bio: Misty Bailey is the voice behind the Southeast Homeschool Expo’s Facebook page, as well as one of the convention planners here at the Southeast Homeschool Expo. She has worked in the homeschool market for nearly a decade with a multitude of curriculum companies, and as a former blogger and podcaster. She brings to the table 17 years of homeschooling experience working with her own three children, as well as founding her local homeschool group. Her goal is to encourage and inspire you on your homeschool journey by providing practical tips for real life (not cookie cutter perfection) homeschooling.
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