ASSEMBLY, No. 4779

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED MAY 11, 2017

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  TROY SINGLETON

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblywoman  MARLENE CARIDE

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

     Provides gross income tax credit for certified teachers who incur expenses for classroom supplies.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

An Act providing credits against the gross income tax for certain teachers and supplementing chapter 4 of Title 54A of the New Jersey Statutes.

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    a.  A taxpayer shall be allowed a credit against the tax otherwise due under the "New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act," N.J.S.54A:1-1 et seq., in an amount that shall not exceed $500 per taxable year, if the taxpayer is a teacher who is certified pursuant to State Board of Education regulations and is employed in a public or nonpublic school in the State and incurs expenses for the purchase of classroom supplies in the taxable year.  For the purposes of this section, "classroom supplies" means books, pencils and other drawing supplies, computers and related equipment, laboratory equipment, and any other equipment and supplementary materials needed for the day-to-day classroom activities. 

     b.    If the amount of credit allowed pursuant to subsection a. of this section for a taxable year, together with any other payments or credits against the tax, reduces the tax liability otherwise due for the taxable year to zero, any amount of credit remaining shall be paid to the taxpayer as a refund of an overpayment of tax pursuant to N.J.S.54A:9-7, except that subsection (f) of that section, concerning the allowance of interest, shall not apply.

     c.     The director shall promulgate procedures and forms by which teachers may certify qualification for the credit under this section.   

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017.

STATEMENT

     This bill creates a $500 gross income tax credit for taxpayers who are certified teachers and incur expenses for the purchase of classroom supplies.  Under the bill, classroom supplies include, but need not be limited to, books, pencils and other drawing supplies, computers and related equipment, laboratory equipment, and any other equipment and supplementary materials needed for the day-to-day classroom activities.

     To be eligible for this credit, a taxpayer must, for a taxable year, be a school teacher who is certified pursuant to State Board of Education regulations and be employed in a public or nonpublic school and incur expenses for the purchase of classroom supplies.