Teachers and other eligible education professionals who buy books, supplies and equipment for their classrooms can reduce their 2003 income by up to $250 in out-of-pocket expenses, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
The "above-the-line" deduction is available to educators who work at least 900 hours during the school year.
In future years, teachers will have to treat such costs as miscellaneous job expenses, which will provide a tax benefit only when the total exceeds two percent of adjusted gross income.
For more information, call the IRS Tele-Tax system at (800) 829-4477 and select Topic 458, or read it online [http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc458.html].