Report Qualifying Teaching Expenses

As a trained teacher, you might qualify to deduct unreimbursed expenses for supplies and other teaching-related charges. You must have labored at least 900 hours during the school year for a school that offers elementary or secondary education, as defined by state law, to qualify. Eligible teachers are K–12 teachers, professors, counselors, principals, and aides.

Qualified Teachers

• You have to be a teacher operating in a K-12 school environment.
• For a school offering primary or secondary education as recognized under state law, you must have finished 900+ hours throughout the academic year.

Amount of Deduction

• Eligible teaching supplies and other expenses let you deduct up to $300 in unreimbursed charges.
• You may deduct up to $600 total—$300 per person—if both you and your spouse are qualified teachers and file jointly.

Qualified Expenses Include:

• Courses in professional development directly connected to your teaching function.
• Books needed for classroom use or instruction.
• Classroom supplies include paper, pens, and other instructional tools.
• Software and computer tools used in classroom teaching.
• Other instruments for specialized instruction, such as athletic materials for physical education teachers or comparable items.
• Additional resources employed in the process of professional development or instruction.

Important Notes:

• The deduction might be lower for earlier tax years and can change from year to year.
• You will have to declare all expenses on your tax return, so be sure to keep track of them all.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 at 7:46 pm and is filed under Deductions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.