From pencils and erasers, to classroom decorations, to science kits – as a teacher, you buy a lot of school supplies to help your students learn. The Prince Edward Island (PEI) Teacher School Supply Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit which recognizes that.
With this tax credit, you can claim up to $500 a year for your school supplies as long as you’re a resident of PEI and you’re a teacher at a PEI school, or you’re a staff member of an early learning and childcare centre. However, if you have more than $500 worth of expenses, you won’t be able to carry forward any excess amount to next year.
You’ll need to complete the PEI TTC100: Teacher School Supply Tax Credit Form and you and the principal of your school must both sign this form. Only the principal can approve the school supplies you purchased, and the only items allowed are:
- Decorations for your bulletin boards, like borders and illustrations
- Construction paper and Bristol board for activities or flashcards
- Instructional posters (punctuation rules, chemistry formulas)
- Items for science experiments like seeds, foods, potting soil, vinegar, pipe cleaners, and more
- Art supplies
- Games and puzzles
- Books (novels, non-fiction, and reference) for classrooms
- Stickers or motivational items
- Support software for teaching/learning
- Containers like plastic boxes or banker boxes for themes and kits
Remember to keep your receipts in case the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) asks to see them at a later date. If you’re filing a paper form, attach these receipts to your return.
Where can I claim this?
Follow these steps in H&R Block's tax software to file your 2016 taxes:
Before you begin, make sure that you told us that you lived in Prince Edward Island on December 31, 2016.
- Under the PREPARE tab, click the LET'S TALK ABOUT 2016 icon.
- Select the checkbox labelled I was employed.
- Click the EMPLOYMENT icon. You'll find yourself here:
- Under the EXPENSES heading, select the checkbox labelled Prince Edward Island teacher school supply amount.
- When you arrive at the page for the Prince Edward Island teacher school supply amount, enter your information into the tax software.