As a teacher, you dedicate your life to educating the young minds of our future generation. A survey of teacher spending in 2021 reported that teachers spend an average of $750 per year. Did you know you may be able to deduct some of those expenses? Whether you need to buy supplies for your classroom or attend professional development workshops, there are a variety of deductions that you can claim come tax time. Let's look at how you can maximize your tax benefits while enhancing your teaching methods.

Professional Development: 

Attending professional development workshops and conferences is essential for staying current with the latest education practices. Tax laws allow you to claim for any expenses incurred for attending these events, including registration fees, travel expenses, accommodation expenses, and meal expenses.

Books for the Classroom:

Books play an instrumental role in educating young minds. From textbooks to novels, you can claim for any books you purchase for use in your classroom. You may also claim subscriptions to online education platforms and websites that help your students learn.

Supplies:

From art supplies to pencils and paper, teachers spend a lot of their own money on classroom supplies. Fortunately, most purchases on classroom supplies can be claimed as tax deductions.

Computer Equipment and Software:

In today's digital age, computer equipment and software are just as vital to education as paper and pencils. Thankfully, as a teacher, you can claim for any device that you purchase that is used for educational purposes or purchased specifically for edtech in the classroom. Similarly, the software you use, such as productivity software or educational apps, can be claimed as well.

Athletic Supplies:

As a teacher, being an assistant coach or leading students in athletic activities can also lead to tax deductions. Any equipment, uniforms, gym accommodations, and even team trips, in some cases, can be claimed for a deduction.

 

Being a teacher is a rewarding job that calls for a significant amount of dedication and passion. Therefore, it's important to be aware of the tax deductions that are available and ensuring to take advantage of them. This guide provides you with the essentials on what tax deductions you're entitled to, be sure to keep receipts for all transactions and organizing your paperwork. Tax guidelines can seem tricky, if you need additional help, call our office at (720) 979-7733