Here is the article that started the recent dust up around homeschooling tax credits.
The New York Times
Do Home Schoolers Deserve a Tax Break?
I thought up until I read the article from HSLDA that they were against federal tax credits. I would like to hear more from them on this topic. Do they back up what was said in the article that they like the idea of tax credits, but with no additional strings attached. Exactly how do they intend to keep this string free?
Here is my primary concern with this issue. Say the Congress suddenly gives all homeschoolers a tax credit of $500 a child. That law now goes to the IRS to give out the credit and to enforce it. The IRS will say we are not experts in homeschooling and we MUST have a regulation that tells us who is homeschooling and who is not.
Will the IRS turn to the states to decide this matter? No. This is a federal tax credit so they will turn to the federal government for a regulation and guidance as to what is legal homeschooling. The Department of Education (being the experts) will be called in to set a legal standard for homeschoolers, in order to receive your tax credit.
Lets say cooler minds write this regulation. At the very least you will have to:
Declare you are a homeschooler (letter of intent to your local school system)
Show that you are actively homeschooling. (Perhaps show receipts)
Show you are successfully homeschooling (standardized testing)
States like Texas, Alaska and several more that do not require parents to submit paperwork to homeschooling will have to change their laws to meet the new federal requirements. I doubt though that would be all. There are several states where a more hands on approach is encouraged by the state. Forced IEP meetings, home visits, portfolio reviews with approval or disapproval in a single person’s hands. I strongly doubt once the heavily unionized federal education department gets their hands on homeschoolers they will go lite.
I am fighting the federalization of the education system both public and private. Regulating homeschoolers would give the federal department of education a huge step forward into federalizing all education. The cost is just too high.
Tax credits for homeschoolers will kick off the Law of Unintended Consequences. It sounds nice. We all want more of our money that we pay in back, but what will we get in return? One more consequence now that the federal department of education went to all the trouble to develop standard set of regulations for homeschoolers. Why don’t we just make that the law across the country, each state raising their laws up to the federally mandated. Is that worth the $500 tax credit a year to you….what about your homeschooled grandchildren?
Here are some thoughts by other homeschoolers.
Parent at the Helm
Any Tax Breaks for Homeschoolers? By Carol Topp, CPA
Corn and Oil
Tying It All Together – The Illinois Education Tax Credit
Refusing the Carrot
Spunky Homeschooler
Homeschoolers and Tax Breaks
NHELD National Home Education Legal Defense
Editorial – Homeschool Tax Credits 01/06/11
Home Education Magazine
State Tax Credits
have you written on this subject? Leave a link in the comments! What do you think about tax credits?