“Ask yourself: ‘Do I feel the need to laminate?’ Then teaching is for you.”
– Gordon Korman
If you are a teacher, you may or may not want to laminate, but if you do, be sure to keep track of those expenses. Eligible educators can deduct up to $250 of unreimbursed expenses paid for books, supplies and other supplementary material bought for the classroom. Surveys show that many teachers spend an average of $300 a year on these types of supplies, so this deduction can help.
An “eligible educator” is someone who works in grades k-12 as a teacher, instructor, counselor, Principal, and/or aide. Additionally, the individual must work at least 900 hours in a school year.
These expenses are deductible even if you do not itemize, so keep track of those expenses and record them on line 23 of your 1040. Or ask your CPA about them.