Teachers, who often reach into their own pocketbooks to pay for classroom extras, are at risk of becoming a casualty of House Republican efforts to reform the federal tax code, The Washington Post reports.
Currently, teachers can deduct up to $250 off their taxable income for purchased out-of-pocket items for the classroom—a small help Congress created in 2002. But the deduction has become a sticking point in the GOP tax debate, with the House scrapping it while the Senate’s plan doubles it to $500.
The educator expense deduction is one of many differences between the House and Senate bills that must be reconciled before a tax plan can be sent to President Donald Trump. The House has already passed its version of the bill. The Senate is aiming to vote on its legislation next week. What politicians decide could greatly affect America’s 3.6 million teachers—and their students.
