CAP: tax credits, school choice hearing, undercover Planned Parenthood video

December 11, 2009 'Tis the Season As Arizona taxpayers, we have the opportunity to support some of the neediest in our communities AND receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on our state income taxes. We have three ways to support noteworthy causes through state income tax credits - you can participate in all three. (As always, consult a tax professional for specific advice.) Scholarship Tax Credit. Married couples may donate up to $1,000 and individuals up to $500 to school tuition organizations. These organizations then provide scholarships for students to attend private schools. If you've been reading 5 Minutes for Families recently, you know we've been working very closely with STOs to strengthen this program that is helping almost 30,000 Arizona children. Charitable Tax Credit. Married couples may donate up to $400 and individuals up to $200 to charitable organizations that serve the needs of the working poor. Thanks to a CAP-supported bill passed this year, taking this credit on your tax return is now simplified - no more confusing baseline year calculations! Donations to many pregnancy resource centers throughout Arizona qualify for this credit as do donations to ministries like Neighborhood Ministries and Neighborhood Christian Clinic. The Department of Revenue has a complete listing of qualifying organizations and more information online. Public School Extracurricular Tax Credit. Married couples may donate up to $400 and individuals up to $200 to public schools for extracurricular activities. Consider supporting a school district that serves children with financial need. Planning for 2010 One of the new laws promoted by CAP this year enables employers to withhold the amounts of these three tax credits throughout the year. Consider asking your employer to participate. The Department of Revenue has provided more information online. New Undercover Video of Planned Parenthood Clinics Live Action Films continues to expose Planned Parenthood's failure to provide full and accurate information to women. In this latest video, an undercover girl asks questions to Planned Parenthood medical professionals, who tell her repeatedly that "it is not a baby" inside her. Read this update and open letter to Planned Parenthood from Americans United for Life, as pro-abortion Senators defeated an amendment to the healthcare bill this week that would have prohibited tax dollars from being used for abortion. School Choice Hearing Yesterday, the Private School Tax Credit Review Committee met and, with a bipartisan vote, adopted a list of 22 recommendations to improve accountability and transparency in the program while also expanding the program so the state can save more money and more Arizona parents will have the opportunity to choose the education they believe is best for their kids. We'll let you know as soon as the list of recommendations is available online. How about a nice CAP travel mug? If you are still shopping for Christmas, make the most of your time and money by going to the CAP Store! PLEASE NOTE: If you placed an order online before today, please call our office at 602-424-2525 or 800-FAMILY-1 to ensure your order was processed as we were having technical issues.