If you’re an eligible educator, you can deduct up to $250 ($500 if married filing jointly and both spouses are eligible educators, but not more than $250 each) of unreimbursed trade or business expenses (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc458). Some examples of qualified expenses are:
- Books and educational textbooks
- Computer equipment, software, and cloud services
- Instructional supplies (like pens, paper, craft goods, etc.)
- Professional development courses related to curriculum or students
- Supplementary supplies used in the classroom
- Industry-specific equipment
Many teachers incurred unforeseen expenses due to supplies needed to help prevent the spread of COVID19. Due to the pandemic, qualified expenses also include amounts incurred after March 12, 2020, that are considered personal protective equipment (PPE). For examples of PPE, click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/using-ppe.html
With the extra funding that Montana schools are set to receive for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, educators will have more items provided to them. Find out more about the additional $127 million here https://www.tester.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=8517.
