State offering tax credit on donations to HPS

Havre Public Schools is putting out a call for donations in the wake of Montana House Bill 279, which authorized enhanced tax credit opportunities for people looking to finically support their public schools.

A release from Havre Public Schools says starting Jan. 3, 2022, people making cash donations directly to HPS can get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their state tax bill.

The release says donations would fund transformational and advanced learning opportunities for students, services and equipment for students with disabilities, work-based learning partnerships, post-secondary credit or career certifications and technologies that improve student experiences and opportunities.

However, the release says, this tax credit is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, so HPS is encouraging people to act quickly and consider making donations in January.

Individuals or corporations can donate up to $200,000 per year for the schools’ “innovative educational programs,” and the aggregate amount of tax credits that may be claimed statewide in 2022 is 1$ million.

In order to make a donation, people can use the Montana Department of Revenue’s Education Donations Portal at https://svc.mt.gov/dor/educationdonations where HPS is registered, make sure they specify that the donation is for Havre Public Schools’ “innovative educational programs,” and provide their name, the last four digits of their Social Security Number or Federal Employer Identification Number, mailing address, physical address and email address, the release says.

The release says the district will enter this information together with the amount donated in the DOR Education Donations Portal and once HPS records the donation, the DOR will preapprove the donation, as long as the individual and statewide thresholds have not been exceeded, and the donor will receive a confirmation number and receipt that they can include when they file their 2022 taxes.

The release says the statewide aggregate threshold of $1 million is tracked on the DOR Education Donations Portal  homepage so people can view how much of the credit has been reserved, how much is available and how much is pending.

People with questions can contact HPS District Clerk Chris Wendland at 406-395-8550 or [email protected] or Dona Losett, at the Montana DOR at 406-444-1991 or [email protected].

More information can also be found at https://mtrevenue.gov/mdocs-posts/tax-credits-for-qualified-education-contributions-guide .