topic I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works. in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

brendarenee14 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:22:32 GMT

I'm a teacher, but he's not. I don't understand why it won't let me to put the deduction under my name.

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 21:37:31 GMT

That's weird. Do you have your return correctly set up as a joint return? When you have been entering income have you been seeing spots with each name for income?

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

brendarenee14 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:16:49 GMT

Yes, it’s set to married filing jointly and it gives me the credit on the state, but not the federal. Yes, both of W2’s are entered, one for each of us.

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:20:45 GMT

@brendarenee14 So when you try to enter the educator credit it will only give a spot for your spouse? What?

To call TurboTax customer support

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899263-what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number

Customer support is available from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific time daily

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

brendarenee14 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:25:37 GMT

No, there’s a place for both of us. If I enter the amount in my box and 0 in his it says I don’t qualify. When I enter the amount in his box and 0 in mine it says we qualify.

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:27:42 GMT

Do not enter a zero in his box. Leave it blank instead. The software does not like zeros.

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

brendarenee14 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:30:26 GMT

I’ll try that. If that doesn’t work, I’ll call that support number. Thank you!

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the deduction in my name. When I put the deduction in my husband's name it works.

Bap8 — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 23:35:28 GMT

I’m having the same issue. It won’t deduct if I put the amounts in my spouse’s name (my spouse is the teacher). But it will allow the deduction if I put the expenses in my name. This doesn’t make sense. Both of us earn income. My spouse lists her occupation as a teacher.

Re: I'm a teacher & trying to take the educator deduction. Turbotax doesn't allow me to take the ...

TeresaM — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 00:08:32 GMT

Qualified expenses are deductible only to the extent the amount of such expenses exceed the following amounts for the tax year, for the spouse who has the Educator Expenses.

The interest on series EE and I U.S. savings bonds that you exclude from income because you paid qualified higher education expenses,
Any distribution from a qualified state tuition program that you exclude from income,
Any tax-free withdrawals from your Coverdell education savings accounts,
Any reimbursements you receive for expenses that aren't reported to you in box 1 of your Form W-2.

Would any of these apply to your spouse, but not to you?

For more information please click to see the IRS Tax Topic 458 Educator Expense Deduction.