Classroom Expenses

The Taxman Cometh

The new reading rug and the set of Eric Carle favorites set you back at least $100. And the extra pencils for the kids who always forget? Here’s some good news—in the final days of the 109th Congress, with pressure from NEA and leadership from Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and John Warner (R-VA), legislators extended the $250 above-the-line

tax deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expenses. It’s not enough—NEA will work to increase the deduction this year—but it’ll help a little. Go to NEA’s Legislative Action Center (www.nea.org/lac/edtax) and urge your member of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 549, which would increase the deduction to $400 and make it permanent.