Accessibility menu
State Representative Patti Fritz
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8237
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
Rep. Fritz encourages families to take credit for learning Tax Filing Time reminder
Rep. Patti Fritz (DFL-Faribault) is encouraging Minnesota families to take advantage of a state tax incentive for parental involvement in their children's educational needs. Minnesota's Take Credit for Learning program offers parents an education tax credit or tax deduction for eligible expenses for K-12 education.
"Most parents are very involved in their children's education and may not even realize that some of the items they spend money on are tax deductible," said Fritz.
Eligible items include non-religious textbooks and materials used in such classes as shop or industrial courses, home economics, dance, art, music and other subjects. Purchase or rental of musical instruments used for class during the school day can be claimed, as can transportation and admission or fees for school trips.
Some after-school enrichment programs also qualify for the deduction and credit. Included are instructor fees for music and dance lessons, academic tutoring, science exploration and study habits coaching.
There are two different tax programs, one a deduction and the other a credit. All families with dependent children in grades K-12 are eligible for the Education Tax Deduction, regardless of income. Families get a deduction of $1625 for each child in grades K-6 and up to $1625 per child for grades 7-12.
Families earning less than $37,500 qualify for a tax credit that allows them to claim a refundable credit of 75% of every dollar spent on eligible goods and services, for up to $1000 per child or a family total of $2000. Between $33,500 and $37,500 a sliding scale determines a decreased refund.
"My understanding is that only one out of every four families eligible actually take advantage of this benefit," said Fritz. "It is an important tool to help parents who are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of educating their children."
For more information contact the MN Revenue website at www.taxes.state.mn.us/taxes/index.shtml.
News Items
- STATE REP. PATTI FRITZ PARTICIPATES IN START OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:32PM)
- Rep. Fritz: Homeowners, Farmers Need Property Tax Relief - (Posted: 2012-05-01 00:00:00)
- Rep. Fritz: Let’s Vote on a Bonding Bill that Benefits All - (Posted: 2012-04-19 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.