Saving back-to-school shopping receipts can lead to tax time savings for Minnesota families 

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Revenue reminds parents and caregivers that they can claim valuable K-12 tax benefits at tax time next year by saving back-to-school shopping receipts for purchases made this year.

Two tax benefits can help Minnesota families pay expenses related to their child’s education: the refundable K-12 Education Credit (income limits apply) and the K-12 Education Subtraction (no income limits). 

Last year, more than 44,000 families received the K-12 Education Credit for an average credit of $379. Over 114,000 families received the K-12 Education Subtraction for an average subtraction of $1,438.

“With summer coming to a close and new school years kicking off across the state, we know that tax filing is not top of mind for most Minnesota families,” said Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart. “However, we wanted to remind parents to save those back-to-school shopping receipts so that they can claim the K-12 Education Subtraction or the K-12 Education Credit and potentially get a larger refund when filing their income taxes next year.” 

To qualify, the purchases must be for educational services or required materials. The child must be attending kindergarten through 12^th grade at a public, private, or qualified home school and meet other qualifications. 

Save those receipts

Remember to save your receipts to claim the credit or subtraction. Use a folder or envelope to store receipts for the upcoming tax filing season.

 Most expenses for educational instruction or materials qualify, including:

• Paper
• Pens and notebooks
• Textbooks
• Rental or purchases of educational equipment such as musical instruments
• Computer hardware (hotspots, modems, and routers) and educational software (up to $200 for the subtraction and $200 for the credit) *
• After-school tutoring and educational summer camps taught by a qualified instructor 

 *Fees for internet service do not qualify

Household Income for the K-12 Education Credit 

Note: Taxpayers who are not required to file an income tax return must do so to claim a refund for any eligible education credit.

K-12 Education Subtraction

There are no income limits to qualify for the education subtraction. Most parents qualify. Parents can claim the K-12 Subtraction for tuition paid to private schools or college courses used to satisfy high school graduation requirements.

Check out this video to learn more about the K-12 education tax credit.

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