Hello,I became a teacher this year through Texas Teachers Alternative certification program. Because I am getting a certificate, can I count it as an education deduction?

[angeliqueardoin]

The program costed around $4000 and was started after I finished my bachelor's degree

[Marketstar]

You can deduct work-related education to maintain or improve your skills in your present job, career, or profession, but you cannot deduct expenses to train or qualify for a new job, career, or profession.

If you needed the certificate to qualify as a teacher, it would not be deductible.

Work related education is an employee business expense.

To deduct employee business expenses, you must have enough itemized deductions (ie. Medical, mortgage interest, property taxes, charitable giving, ect) to exceed your Standard Deduction. If you itemize, your deduction is limited to the extent that it exceeds 2% of your Adjusted Gross Income.

So, you may not gain a tax benefit from this deduction.

To report work related education expenses in TurboTax:

• Click My Account (Top right of your screen).
• Select Tools.
• In the pop up window, select Topic Search.
• In the search bar, type in 2106
• Highlight it and select GO, and follow the prompts.

See Any Other Expenses? page

Education Expenses, 6th category down

[SweetieJean]

Wouldn't this qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit?

[Marketstar]

It may qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit if the academic training was from an eligible educational institution.

[Marketstar]

Sweetie Jean raised a good point.

As stated in the above comment, if the academic training was from an eligible educational institution you can deduct it.

An eligible school is defined as a school that participates in the student aid program administered by the Department of Education.

See IRS Eligible Schools

To deduct an education expense from an eligible school:

• Click My Account (Top right of your screen).
• Select Tools.
• In the pop up window, select Topic Search.
• In the search bar, type in 1098t

Highlight it and select GO, and follow the prompts