House Republicans have a little-known plan to raise taxes on teachers by $2 billion

House Republicans have a little-known plan to raise taxes on teachers by $2 billion
By Heather Long November 22, 2017 at 7:00 AM


Every year, Brooke Richardson, who teaches English as a second language to mostly low-income Hispanic students in Atlanta, turns to her own pocketbook to help her students. She has lost track of how many pencils, markers, notebooks and glue sticks she buys a year.

All in, Richardson estimates she spent $500 of her own money on her students last year. She says it's worth it — her voice lights up talking about “her kids” and all their “aha moments,” many of which come when she deviates from the textbook.

But what has also been helpful is that she's able to deduct $250 off her taxable income for the extras she buys for her classroom, a small help that Congress created in 2002 for teachers who “go above and beyond.”

The House GOP tax bill would scrap that educator deduction entirely.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/22/house-republicans-have-a-little-known-plan-to-raise-taxes-on-teachers-by-2-billion/