tax-blog

Several states have K–12 private school education tax benefits, deductions, or refund programs. Please keep the following in mind:

  1. Legally, Enlightium Academy is considered a private school, not a homeschool.
  2. Enlightium Academy is accredited, an important distinction for several states in filing for tax benefits. Enlightium Academy is accredited by Cognia and the Association of Christian Schools International. More information can be found here.
  3. This article is intended to inform you on the first steps that need to be taken to prepare for filing; speak with a tax professional and/or conduct further research before filing.
  4. Laws are subject to change. 

Benefits

Many states have tax benefits for enrolling your student in an online private school. These benefits will vary depending on the state of residence and your family’s specific situation. Examples include the following:

The most common expense for tax benefits is the tuition, although fees and supplies may be eligible as well.

Limitations

Similar to benefits, limitations may also apply, often based on the family’s income level or how a family is filing (married filing separately vs. married filing jointly). 

Other practical limitations may be relevant, such as ensuring that the student is living in the state in which your family is filing and that the student is enrolled full-time at the private school. Additionally, the state may have a cap for tax benefit programs.

Students with Special Needs

On occasion, states may offer tax options for parents/guardians of students with special needs. It is important to research how the state defines special needs and to ensure that all steps are being followed, such as documentation from a health care provider.

Parent Steps

Your family will want to research tax benefits and limitations for your state using government websites and/or speak with a tax professional. To get started, you can also search for your state in Enlightium’s blog.

If your family lives in a state that offers benefits, there is one word to keep in mind: documentation.

You can:

Enlightium Academy is an accredited, alternative education option for educating your child from home. Our program offers the comfort of a homeschool education environment and the quality of a private school education curriculum. Enlightium Academy is a private Christian school that offers a Bible-based, flexible, accredited, teacher supported, and affordable education. Enlightium Academy meets all accreditation and state education requirements, while neither using the state curriculum nor Common Core. For any other questions about Enlightium, please call (866) 488-4818, or visit EnlightiumAcademy.com