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Knoblach bill to expand education tax credits advances

Thursday, January 26, 2017
 
ST. PAUL – A bill Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud, authored to expand education tax credits cleared its first committee hurdle of the session Thursday, advancing through the House Education Policy Committee.
 
Knoblach’s bill (H.F. 387) increases the state’s education tax credit and deduction by about 50 percent to account for the inflation that has taken place since the programs were last updated 20 years ago. The credit would be raised to $1,500, while deductions would increase to $2,600 for students in K-6 and $3,900 for students grades 7-12.
 
“This bill will provide public, private and home school students with additional help in meeting their educational expenses,” Knoblach said. “It will also help provide low and lower middle income families with increased school choices that higher income families currently have."
 
The bill also expands eligibility for the credit so that families that make up to $50,000 would be eligible and extends the credit to cover private school tuition, which already has been covered by the tax deduction since 1955.
 
The House Tax Committee is the next stop for Knoblach’s bill.
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