Bay Ridge

GOP says teachers should get tax credits

Bill aimed at instructors who use own money for school supplies

September 15, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis is among the legislators supporting a bill to allow teachers to receive tax credits for using their personal funds to buy classroom supplies.
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With the school year underway, Republican members of the state assembly are pushing for legislation to help teachers who have to dip into their own pockets to pay for classroom supplies.

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) is among the GOP lawmakers calling on the state to help teachers.

Under the bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Phil Palmesano (R-C-Corning), the state would provide up to $500 in annual tax credits for teachers who use their personal funds to pay for teaching supplies that benefit students.

The average U.S. teacher spends nearly $1,000 of his or her own money each year on basic classroom supplies to help students whose families can’t afford to purchase notebooks, pens and other necessities, according to the National School Supply and Equipment Association, an organization based on Silver Spring, Maryland, that organizes trade shows and other events.

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Malliotakis, Palmesano and Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R-C- Canandaigua) recently issued statements urging the assembly’s Democratic majority to move the legislation forward. The bill was introduced last April and is under consideration by the Ways and Means Committee.  The bill is similar to legislation introduced in the state senate by State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) last year.

“Teachers across the state devote countless hours to support our children but their dedication doesn’t stop there. They are also digging into their own pockets to pay for school supplies. Whether in the classroom or after hours, it is a sad reality that many of our teachers need to invest their personal finances because classroom funds often come up short,” said Malliotakis, who is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“As legislators, we have an opportunity and an obligation to support these compassionate, dedicated professionals. This important tax credit will help offset their classroom expenses. It is simply the right thing to do,” Palmesano said.

“New York’s teachers need help managing the rising costs of school supplies. This legislation provides overdue relief for educators across the state. By making it easier and more affordable to purchase school supplies, we can help teachers improve the classroom experience and better prepare our children for future success,” Kolb said.

If enacted, Palmesano’s bill would provide a tax credit for elementary and secondary teachers who use personal funds to purchase supplies for which they are not reimbursed. Teachers would be eligible to apply for the tax credit id they spend personal funds on such things as: books and other instructional materials, notebooks, posters, supplies for special projects, and field trips.

Malliotakis also suggested that the tax credit be paid for with additional revenue from gaming in New York state. Thirty percent of the traditional New York state Lottery sales and 48 percent of the video gaming revenue is used to provide school aid, she said.

“Currently, less than one third of Lotto revenue goes to education. The state can use some of the extra revenue to adopt this tax credit for teachers who step up to the plate for their students,” she said.

***CLARIFICATION***

Original version of article omitted the fact that state Sen. Andrew Lanza had introduced teacher tax credit legislation in the state senate last year.


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