Reduce your Arizona State Taxes AND support the Shadow Mountain High School Band with an Arizona Educational Tax Credit Donation
Arizona Tax Law (A.R.S. 15-719) allows any Arizona taxpayer to donate to a school of their choice in support of extracurricular programs and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their Arizona State tax return. A maximum of $200 can be deducted per individual tax return, or $400 for couples filing a joint return. Donations for the prior tax year can be made up to April 15th of the current year. Please consult a tax professional if you have questions about the application of the credit.
How to Donate:
There are a couple of ways to make a Tax Credit Donation to the Shadow Mountain HS Band:
Family & Friends – Either mail a check or use the online Community Portal. It is not required that they have a student in the school. See details below.
Parents – use the Paradise Valley School District Online parent portal. See details below.
- For “Community Members” (friends or family – not parents)
- Go to the “TAX CREDIT DONATION (community members)” page.
- On the right hand side, complete the donation form:
- select “Shadow Mountain High School” from the Select Your Site dropdown menu
- ensure that the Tax Credit Item shows “TC – DONATION GENERAL SMHS”
- make sure to write in the Student Name/Activity Field is BAND or ORCHESTRA or whatever program you would like to support.
- Select Buy – that will put the amount in the Cart
- Select Cart – that will take you to the Payment Page
- Select Pay – Fill out the Customer Information and go through the payment screens
- At the receipt screen – in the top right of the receipt, select Send or Print to make sure you receive a receipt for your tax deduction.
- For Parents
- Go to the Paradise Valley School District Online Payment Portal
- On the Payment Portal page, sign in with your User Name and Password (if you don’t have an account already, create an account)
- Once logged into the District Online Payment Portal, you can either select your student or your own name in the “Who are you shopping for”
- Select the “Items At All Schools” button (under the “Shop” section)
- Next, select “High School“, then “Shadow Mountain High School“, then “Tax Credit Direct Donation – Performing Arts“
- Next, add the item “SMHS TC – DONATION BAND” (or DONATION ORCHESTRA or CHORUS….whatever program you would like to support)
- In the Amount field, enter the amount of your donation (example: $200 or $400) and select the blue “Buy” button
- Proceed to “Checkout” (located in the upper right corner of the page)
- Complete your checkout/purchase
Mail In Donation
- Select this link DONATE HERE and visit the PVSchools Tax Credit Donations page
- Select the box “Download the Mail-in Tax Credit Form”
- or SELECT THIS LINK to download the form
- Fill out the “RESPONSE CARD” portion of the form
- Write a check for up to $200 for single individuals (or head of household) or $400 for married couples filing a joint return ($200 if married filing separately), made payable to Shadow Mountain High School
- Mail completed form and payment to:
Shadow Mountain High School ATTN: Bookstore 2902 East Shea Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85028
- All checks must be made payable to Shadow Mountain High School — write “BAND” in the memo space and the band program will be credited with the entire amount. If you want your tax credit to apply directly to the Band account of a specific student, you must write the name of the student next to the word Band in the memo space of your check.
- Receive a receipt in the mail from the school
- When you prepare your Arizona state taxes, include Form 322: Credit for Fees Paid to Public Schools. This allows you to subtract the entire amount of your tax credit donation from the state taxes you owe.
- Claim the donation, to the full extent allowed by law, on your IRS Form 1040 Schedule A, or as directed by your tax professional.
One $200 credit is allowed for each single taxpayer (or head of household) or $400 for married couples filing a joint return ($200 if married filing separately). Credits may be used only to the extent that they reduce state tax liability to zero. However, if you have extra credit left over, you can carry it forward for up to five years. You don’t have to have a child in school to claim the credit. The school must use the money for extracurricular activities, such as after school clubs, field trips or science laboratory equipment. If you have questions about the AZ Tax Credit, contact your tax professional or visit the Paradise Valley Unified School District web site for more information.