A School Tuition Organization is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and certified by the state of Arizona to receive qualifying tax credit donations and award scholarships to students attending Arizona private schools.

Yes, you may receive an Arizona tax credit for the full amount of the contribution, up to the amount allowed by law or the actual Arizona state income tax you owe, whichever is less. Any excess can be carried forward and used to offset state income taxes for up to five years. A taxpayer who donates between January 1st and April 15th may elect to claim the credit in either the previous tax year or the current year in which the donation was made. Always consult a tax advisor with questions regarding your personal taxes.

In order to claim the tax credit for your donation, you must file Arizona tax forms 301, 323 and sometimes 348 along with your Arizona income tax forms. These forms (and instructions) can be downloaded here (http://apesf.org/tax-forms). Please consult your tax preparer with further questions.

Making a donation to APESF is an alternative to writing a check to the state. For example, if you owe $3,000 to the state, you could say, “I want $1,000 of that to go to students at Running River School,” and you would then only owe $2,000 to the state. In other words, a tax credit contribution to APESF directly reduces the amount of taxes you owe to the state of Arizona that you would have to pay anyway. By taking the credit you are, in effect, re-directing your tax dollars to benefit worthy students at Running River School.

Donors who contribute online will automatically receive an email receipt and may also request a receipt be mailed to them. Donors who contribute by mail with a check will have the option on the donor form to receive it by mail, email or both.