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• Deduct Educator Expenses on Tax Form 1040
  

  Deduct Educator Expenses on Tax Form 1040

  Congress extends the tax benefit for out-of-pocket expenses.

  NEA Member Benefits

  In October 20008, the U.S. Congress in October extended the provision for educators deducting out-of-pocket expenses for the 2008 and 2009 tax years. When filing the federal tax form 1040, educators should find the line where classroom expenses can be listed as a deductible item

  In October 2008, the U.S. Congress extended the tax benefit for the 2008 and 2009 tax years as part of the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act,” the much-publicized financial rescue measure.

  Eligible educators can deduct up to $250 of unreimbursed expenses on line 23 of Form 1040 when filing the 2008 federal tax return.

  Out-of-pocket expenses can be claimed even if you do not itemize deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A. This deduction is for expenses paid or incurred during the tax year.

  You are an eligible educator if, for the tax year, you are a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide. 

  To be eligible for the deduction, you must work at least 900 hours a school year in a school that provides elementary or secondary education, as determined under state law.

  You can deduct up to $250 of expenses for:

  • Books
  • Supplies
  • Computer equipment (including related software and services)
  • Other equipment
  • Supplementary materials that you use in the classroom

  For courses in health and physical education, expenses for supplies are qualified only if they are related to athletics.

  Qualified expenses are deductible only to the extent the amount of such expenses exceeds the following amounts for the tax year:

  • The interest on qualified U.S. savings bonds that you excluded from income because you paid qualified higher education expenses,
  • Any distribution of a qualified tuition program that you excluded from income, or
  • Any tax-free withdrawals from your Coverdell Education Savings Account.

  Thanks to the borrowing power of 3.2 million members, you can save with members-only insurance programs, financial services, and discounts designed to meet your ever-changing needs through NEA Member Benefits. Member Service Representatives are ready to answer your questions at 1-800-637-4636, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) ET.

• Rules for Packing Batteries while on Air Travel
  

  Rules for Packing Batteries while on Air Travel

  Know the procedures for carry-on or checked baggage.

  Transportation Security Administration

  Airline passengers traveling with batteries--like the ones used in cell phones and laptop computers--need to know the federal rules when packing your carry-on or checked baggage. 

  When traveling on an airline, you need to know the rules for carrying batteries that operate personal electronic devices.

  Department of Transportation rules prohibit the carrying of spare lithium batteries in checked luggage. If you put a portable electronic device in checked baggage, you may do so only if the batteries are installed in the device.

  For carry-on baggage, you may still pack any number of some types of lithium batteries, such as the ones used in cell phones and most laptop computers, provided you take measures to protect the terminals.

  Here are some tips when traveling with spare batteries.

  Carefully pack your spare batteries in carry-on baggage. (In the passenger compartment, flight crews can better monitor safety conditions to prevent an incident, and can access fire extinguishers if an incident does happen.)

   

  • Keep spare batteries in the original retail packaging to prevent unintentional activation or short-circuiting. For loose batteries, place tape across the battery’s contacts to isolate terminals.
  • Do not permit a loose battery to come in contact with metal objects, such as coins, keys, or jewelry.
    
  • Take steps to prevent crushing, puncturing, or putting a high degree of pressure on the battery, which can cause an internal short-circuit.

   

  For more information, go to www.tsa.gov.

  Thanks to the borrowing power of 3.2 million members, you can save with members-only insurance programs, financial services, and discounts designed to meet your ever-changing needs through NEA Member Benefits. Member Service Representatives are ready to answer your questions at 1-800-637-4636, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) ET.

• Disposing of Your Old Cell Phone
  

  Disposing of Your Old Cell Phone

  Don’t just toss the electronic device in the trash.

  Federal Trade Commission

  You have upgraded to a new cell phone. What should you do with the old phone? Just tossing it in the trash is easy, but it is not a good practice for the environment or for your own security.

  If you own a cell phone, at some point you’re likely to upgrade to a newer model. But what should you do with your old phone?

  Options include recycling, reselling, and donating. Before you hang up your old phone for the last time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has some advice on how to dispose of it properly.

  Cell phones and more complex mobile devices, like Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), are like laptop computers: they are often repositories of personal and sometimes sensitive information, including addresses and phone numbers, passwords, e-mail, account numbers, voicemail, phone logs, even medical and prescription information.

  You would not dispose of your old laptop computer without wiping the hard drive clean; mobile devices deserve the same level of attention before you discard them.

  Permanently Removing Personal and Sensitive Information

  Encrypting passwords and other sensitive data stored on your cell phone, and “locking” the keypad while your phone is not in use, can help prevent unauthorized access even after your cell phone is no longer in service. Still, certain data on your phone, including personal contacts, photos and Web search terms, may be recoverable with relatively simple and inexpensive software programs.

  It’s a good idea to remove personal information before you dispose of your phone.

  Permanent data deletion usually requires several steps. Remove the memory or subscriber identity module (SIM) card from the phone. That’s an important first step in deleting information, but you likely will need to do more to erase all the sensitive data on your device. You can command a cell phone to delete certain data, but that will only delete the references to where the data is located; the actual information stays on the phone’s operating system.

  Permanent data deletion also may require you to clear data from the phone’s contacts and other stored information. Your owner’s manual, your wireless provider’s Web Site, or the manufacturer will likely provide information on how to permanently delete information from your mobile device (and even how to save or transfer information to a new device before deletion).

  Make sure that you have removed the following data: phone book, any lists of calls (received and made), voicemails, sent and received e-mail and text messages, organizer folders, Internet search history, and photos.

  Disposal Options

  Once you have a “clean” phone, here are some options for disposing of it:

  Recycling

  Cell phone manufacturers, service providers, and non-profit groups often have programs to refurbish mobile devices or recycle their components, including peripheral devices like chargers.
  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has information on electronic product recycling programs at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm.

  The U.S. Postal Service’s free “Mail Back” pilot program allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges. Some 1,500 post offices have free envelopes so you can mail back PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras, and music players without having to pay for postage. For more information, visit www.usps.gov.

  Donating

  Many organizations collect old mobile devices for charitable purposes. Some individuals and organizations will buy your old mobile devices. You can find names and addresses online.

  Disposing

  Keep the environment in mind when disposing of mobile devices. Cell phones contain batteries, which should not be put in your trash because they will end up in landfills where they could be harmful. Many cell phones also contain heavy metals that can contaminate the earth. The EPA recommends that you check with your local health and sanitation agencies for the proper way to dispose of electronic devices.

  The FTC works for the