GREENSBORO, N.C. — Paper, pens, and pencils are your typical teaching supplies. In 2020, hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks became supply staples and now educators who bought these items can get a tax break. It's the Educator Expenses.
The big lesson to learn here is this is not an itemized deduction.
“They don't have to itemize, it is an adjustment to income. They don't have to itemize to get the tax savings,” said Kevin Robinson of Robinson Tax & Accounting Services.
This is very different than you deducting your charitable giving or donations to Goodwill.
The Educator Expenses comes off your Adjusted Gross Income much like your Health Savings Account, alimony, or 401K.
“This will come in on Line 10a and Schedule One is a worksheet that links to that. It should be part of the tax software even if they're doing their own through Turbo Tax, for example, it will be a drop-down for Educator Expenses on the top of the next screen, there are about 20 other things but it's at the top of the list,” said Robinson.
The following is the list of eligible items from the IRS:
- face masks
- disinfectant for use against COVID-19
- hand soap
- hand sanitizer
- disposable gloves
- tape, paint, or chalk to guide social distancing
- physical barriers (for example, clear plexiglass)
- air purifiers
- other items recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be used for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19
The $250 limit goes up to $500 if filing taxes jointly, but with no more than $250 per individual.