KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 8, 2023) – Today, U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) and U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act. This bill would increase the amount of money qualified teachers may deduct on certain out-of-pocket classroom expenses on their annual tax returns from $250 to $1,000.
“I come from a family of public educators, and time and time again I saw them gladly spend their own limited income on their students. The federal government has no business putting such a low cap on what teachers can deduct from their taxes when they are being so generous with these kids.” said Rep. Burchett.
“Educators are the backbone of American society,” said Rep. Casten. “They play a critical role in developing future generations, and no teacher should have to dig into their own pockets to buy essential classroom supplies. Ensuring our students get the best educational experience means having functional, comfortable, and resource-filled learning environments. We should not expect teachers to pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to provide the supplies necessary to educate students. It is past time that the federal government invests in our educators.”
More than 90% of public school teachers reported spending their money on classroom supplies without reimbursement, according to a 2018 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics.
You can find the text of the Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act by clicking here.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-burchett-casten-introduce-bill-help-teachers-afford-school-supplies