If you are an eligible educator, you may be able to deduct up to $250 of expenses you paid for purchases of books and classroom supplies. These out-of-pocket expenses may lower your 2006 tax bill even if you don’t itemize your deductions.

• Eligible Educator: The deduction is available if you are an eligible educator in a public or private elementary or secondary school. To be eligible, you must work at least 900 hours during a school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide.
• Qualifying Expenses: You may subtract up to $250 of qualified expenses when figuring your adjusted gross income. Qualified expenses are unreimbursed expenses you paid or incurred for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services) and supplementary materials that you use in the classroom. For courses in health and physical education, expenses for supplies are qualified expenses only if they are related to athletics.
  

To be deductible, the qualified expenses must be more than the interest on qualified U.S. savings bonds that you excluded from income because you paid qualified higher education expenses, any distribution from a qualified tuition program that you excluded from income, and any tax-free withdrawals from your Coverdell Education savings account.

The deduction for educator expenses can only be claimed on Form 1040, line 23, “Archer MSA Deduction.” Enter “E” on the dotted line to the left of that line entry if claiming educator expenses only.  Enter “B” if claiming both an Archer MSA deduction and the deduction for educator expenses on Form 1040.  If entering “B,” taxpayers must attach a breakdown showing the amounts claimed for each deduction.

For more information about this topic, visit the IRS Web site at IRS.gov.