Vows to sponsor legislation replacing the deduction at the state ;evel if tax plan succeeds; Brindisi says proposal affects 210k upstate teachers and needy students who cannot afford to buy their own
Standing outside General Herkimer Elementary School in Utica, state Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi announced a major push and legislative plan to protect the federal tax deduction for teachers who buy school supplies for their classroom, with their own money. Under the current tax law, Mohawk Valley teachers can deduct $250 each year because of the federal tax credit and up to $750 this year. But the new GOP federal tax plan eliminates the teacher tax credit entirely and it stands a good chance of passing.
“There are several reasons to be worried about the GOP tax plan cruising through Congress without any bipartisan input, but one of the reasons that is less talked about hits our local teachers: the teacher expense deduction,” said Brindisi. “Our teachers give it their all to make the lives and educations of our kids so much better, and many of them dig into their own pockets throughout the year to buy extra supplies for the classroom. That’s why I am ringing the bell, today, to protect this tax deduction—because to a teacher, a few hundred dollars is a lot—it’s a student loan payment.”
Brindisi said he is urging New York’s entire Congressional delegation to restore and fight for the teacher tax credit and is hopeful that by alerting members of Congress to the teacher expense deduction, they might realize it matters to teachers in our area, especially those with student loans.
“Quite simply, the GOP tax plan would be nails on the chalkboard for hundreds of area teachers,” Brindisi said. “Because not only would our area teachers lose this tax deduction, but they will also lose their student loan deduction if the GOP plan passes and prevents all people with school loans from deducting their student loan interest. Think of this as a double tax on teachers, for no good reason.”
IRS data shows there are roughly 210,000 teachers in Upstate New York and that only 52 percent of them are using the Teacher Expense Deduction—which means 48 percent of Upstate teachers, and some in our area, are entitled to a $750 tax credit this year alone. According to the IRS, teachers spend an average of $485 of their own money, each year, to help supply their classrooms. And all teachers can take the deduction, even those who do not itemize their taxes. Those who claim the deduction, though, must work at least 900 hours per school year.
Brindisi further said, today, that if the U.S. Congress does fully pass the GOP tax plan and totally kills the teacher deduction, he will draft and drop state legislation to restore the teacher tax credit for New York teachers.
“I will watch this issue like a hawk and the second the U.S. Congress does away with this critical teacher tax deduction, I will draft legislation that mirrors the federal deduction and work to restore this benefit for our area teachers,” Brindisi said. “These teachers are making personal investments in our school districts and in the lives of their kids, and they should get a little bit of that money back. Plain and simple.”
“Educators are all too familiar with doing more with less,” said Cherie Grant, President of the Utica Teachers Association. “The money teachers and support service staff use from their own modest pay to purchase basic classroom supplies such as colored paper, colored pencils, crayons, folders, science project materials and notebooks, also goes toward clothing such as socks and personal hygiene necessities for students whose families cannot afford them. Teachers and school-related professionals are not required to, and should not be expected to provide materials and supplies they need to do their jobs to enhance the learning environment. The reality is, when they see a child in need, they meet it, too often out of their own pockets. It is unfortunate that many Republicans in Congress would slight the dedicated public school teachers who show up every day to educate our children.”
“Teachers spend more money on students than the public realizes,” said Kirstin Vivacqua, a teacher in the Utica City School District. The amount that the tax deduction allows for is just a small percentage of what comes out of the average teacher’s pocket. Teachers not only buy materials such as pencils, notebooks, and other supplies. Teachers also spend money on resources to supplement and improve their curriculum. Lastly, teachers buy things the public would never even guess: Halloween costumes and extra Valentines so no child is left out, coats, sneakers, and other clothing items, and even snacks for the child that didn’t get to eat recently. We don’t keep track. We just do what we need to do, because we care about children. This deduction doesn’t even touch what is spent, but it has always been one of the few gestures of appreciation we see. In a time when teachers are vilified for societal problems, taking away this small benefit is a slap in the face”