FAQ
Taxes & getting paid
What's taxable, who owns what a grant buys, and the deduction you can claim yourself. General information — not tax advice.
- Is grant money taxable?
- General information, not tax advice — check with a tax professional for your situation. The baseline IRS rule is that gross income includes all income unless it's specifically excluded, so a cash award or grant paid to you personally is generally taxable, and prizes and awards are taxable. Programs that pay your school instead of you avoid this for you.
- Does DonorsChoose money count as income to me?
- No — and that's part of why it's the safest first stop. Donations go to the DonorsChoose nonprofit, which buys the materials and ships them to your school. You never receive the money, so there's nothing to report as income.
- What about GoFundMe or other general crowdfunding?
- It's fact-specific. Per IRS guidance, crowdfunding amounts may be nontaxable gifts if they're given out of detached and disinterested generosity with nothing expected in return — but contributions from an employer to or for an employee are taxable. Receiving a Form 1099-K from a platform doesn't by itself make funds taxable, and reporting thresholds have changed repeatedly, so check current IRS guidance rather than trusting an old number. Keep your records at least three years.
- Who owns what a grant buys?
- Often the school, not you — even for a 'teacher' award. Under many local policies, equipment or materials bought for the classroom become district property. Ask before you assume you can take it with you when you change schools.
- What can I deduct myself?
- Eligible K-12 educators (900+ hours in a school year) can take the Educator Expense Deduction — up to $300 of unreimbursed classroom expenses, taken right on your return ($600 if married filing jointly and both of you are educators, max $300 each). Keep your receipts. $300 is the figure we can confirm on irs.gov; if you've seen a higher number quoted for a newer tax year, verify it on irs.gov before relying on it.
Money is good news — just go in with your eyes open. The rules below come from the IRS’s own guidance (Topic No. 458 for the deduction; the IRS crowdfunding fact sheet for the crowdfunding lines). None of this is tax advice; when real dollars are involved, a quick check with a tax professional is worth it.
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