Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1497353
Professor Turned Author Jacqueline Wall retired as a Chaffey College professor in 2015. Since then, the CTA/NEA-Retired member has published two self-help books based on her life experiences. A Happy Kid Is Not a Bully is a guilt-free plan for parents' greatest legacy, with tips, steps and suggestions to raise a happy kid, not a bully. I'm Prettier Than That depicts how Wall survived domestic violence, and how others can end abusive relationships. Both are on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. • E D U C A T O R E X P E N S E D E D U C T I O N : For tax year 2022, eligible educators can now deduct up to $300 ($600 if married filing jointly and both spouses are eligible educators) of unreimbursed trade or business expenses. These include classroom supplies, professional development courses, books, computer equipment (including software and services) and other equipment. Qualified expenses also include the amounts for personal protective equipment, disinfectant and other supplies used to prevent the spread of coronavirus. For details, go to irs.gov/taxtopics/tc458. • E A R N E D I N C O M E T A X C R E D I T S (EITC) are tax credits for working people who have earned a low to moder- ate income. You may be eligible to receive a cash refund or reduce the amount of tax you owe. There are two EITCs: the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). To learn more about both and to check your eligibility, visit caleitc4me.org. • CalEITC: The amount of CalEITC you get depends on your income and family size. You may be eligible for up to $3,417 for tax year 2022 as a working family or individual earning up to $30,000 per year. • Federal EITC: Unlike the CalEITC, only people with Social Security numbers qualify. You can claim the credit whether you're single or married or have children or not. The main requirement is that you must earn money from a job. CalEITC might also enable you to qualify for the Young Child and Foster Youth tax credits. For the former, you may qualify for up to $1,083 cash back if you had a child under the age of 6 at the end of the tax year. For Foster Youth tax credits, you may qualify for up to $1,083 cash back if you were in California foster care when age 13 or older. Learn more about both tax credits at caleitc4me.org. Tax Deductions for Educators Got something for Lit From Within — a book , blog, album, video series, podcast or something else? Tell us at editor@cta.org with "Lit From Within" in the subject line. We lean toward new(ish) work that can be used in the classroom. 55 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 3 Continued from Page 56 From Within