Bill > A1427

Introduced Session

This bill provides a non-refundable gross income tax credit for certain expenses associated with homeschooling a child or dependent. Under the bill, a taxpayer may claim a gross income tax credit in an amount equal to the qualified homeschool expenses incurred by the taxpayer in a taxable year--for up to $1,000 per child or dependent; however, the taxpayer may not claim more than $3,000 in a taxable year (i.e., three children or dependents). A taxpayer's gross income cannot exceed $150,000 in a taxable year in order to receive the credit. For taxpayers who are married but file separately, each person may claim one-half of the credit otherwise allowable. The term "qualified homeschool expenses" is defined to encompass educational textbooks, workbooks, and teachers' edition books; computer software whose primary purpose is for teaching or self-learning; curriculum rental fees for educational material; and membership fees for libraries and academic institutions and organizations. Qualified homeschool expenses expressly excludes the following: materials used to set up a home school (e.g., computers, desks, boards); consumable school supplies (e.g., pencils, pens, paper); and internet service provider fees. Parents and guardians who homeschool their children go to great lengths--and incur great costs--in order to provide a quality education to those in their care. The State, moreover, has an interest in supporting the development and access to educational opportunities for all children residing in the State, irrespective of the method by which they are educated. This bill seeks to balance such interests by providing a gross income tax credit to cover the costs of many expensive yet fundamental educational resources, such as textbooks and educational software incurred by parents and guardians homeschooling their children and dependents.

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Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Jay Webber (R)*,  Erik Peterson (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 01/09/2018)