By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Educators are getting a little help from the IRS.
"People that are teachers, instructors, counselors, principals or even aides that spend at least 900 hours a year in classrooms K-12, if they're spending money for protective equipment that they need to protect themselves from COVID, face masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, just about anything, there's a long list at IRS.gov, they can deduct up to $250 for unreimbursed expenses for those items," said spokesperson Michael Devine. You don't have to itemize to do that."
Just be sure you have a receipt for whatever you claim.
"Have a receipt just in case the IRS would ask," Devine said. "That's probably not going to happen, but, in case it does, having receipts for anything on your tax return is a really good idea."
If more than one person in your family is an educator, you can both claim those expenses.
"If two educators are married, you can have up to $500 on that return," Devine said. "Not more than $250 each."
For more information about this, the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020 and other tax changes, visit IRS.gov.
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