From pencils and erasers, to classroom decorations and 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 that allows you to recoup some of these expenses.
Before you can claim school supply expenses on your return, you’ll need to complete the PEI TTC100: Teacher School Supply Tax Credit Form; this form must be signed by both you and the principal of your school. Remember to keep your receipts in case the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) asks to see them at a later date.
*Only the principal can approve the school supplies you purchased.
Am I eligible?
You can claim the PEI teacher school supply tax credit for the supplies you purchased in 2017 provided you meet the following conditions:
- You were a resident of PEI on December 31, 2017
- You’re a teacher at a school or a staff member of an early childhood education centre located in PEI
How much can I claim?
You can claim up to $500 of approved school supply expenses per year. Expense amounts in excess of $500 can’t be carried forward for use in a future year.
What types of supplies can be claimed?
Valid expenses include:
- 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
Where can I claim this?
Follow these steps in H&R Block's 2017 tax software:
Before you begin, make sure that you told us that you lived in Prince Edward Island on December 31, 2017.
- Under the PREPARE tab, click the IN THIS SECTION icon.
- Under Employment expenses (home office, tools, etc.), credits or deductions related to your job, and employment income that's not show on a slip (tips, royalties, etc.), click the Add This button.
- Click the EMPLOYMENT icon. You'll find yourself here:
- Under the EXPENSES heading, select the checkbox labelled Prince Edward Island teacher school supply amount then click Continue.
- When you arrive at the page for the Prince Edward Island teacher school supply amount, enter your information into the tax software.
