Georgia GOAL Tax Credit Program

PARTICIPATE EARLY IN 2013! FUNDS ARE EXPECTED TO RUN OUT MID-YEAR!

In 2008, the Georgia Assembly passed into law House Bill 1133 which allows individuals and corporations to choose to redirect a portion of their Georgia state income tax dollars for need based financial aid for public school or kindergarten-entry students entering an independent school. The Howard School has partnered with Georgia GOAL, a state approved Student Scholarship Organization (SSO), as required by law to administer this tax credit program. While participation in the program does not replace the charitable contributions that we rely on for our Annual Fund and other programs, it does provide critical funding for financial aid.

Your participation in the Georgia GOAL program can be used to support students who want to attend The Howard School, allowing us to increase the financial aid that we can offer new students.

This tax credit allows you to take up to $2,500 of your Georgia state income tax, and gives you a dollar for dollar income tax credit against your Georgia state income tax liability. For more information, visit Georgia GOAL's list of Frequently Asked Questions here.

How It Works

Please consider letting your tax dollars work by providing needed financial assistance for students who want to attend The Howard School. Check your most recent tax return and compare the taxes paid to the state of Georgia to the following chart. By making a contribution to Georgia GOAL before December 31, you may claim the tax credit on your Georgia return for that tax year, and, if you itemize deductions, take the corresponding charitable deduction on your federal return.

How Can I Participate?

Anyone who pays Georgia State Income tax is eligible to participate. Contributing early in 2013 is essential this year. Georgia GOAL predicts that the (estimated) $52 million in available tax credits will be gone by summer.

The GOAL Scholarship Program offers a streamlined method for contributing for a tax credit. Follow the simple instructions below:

#1 Contribute to Georgia GOAL

Send the following items directly to Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program at Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30328.

• A completed GOAL Tax Credit Form

• A copy of PAGE 2 of Form IT-QEE-TP1 pre-approval form, signed by you at Part C (GOAL will complete the form for you and submit it to the Georgia Department of Revenue)

• A check made payable to “Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, Inc.” (or complete the credit card payment information on the contribution form) in the amount of your contribution (your payment will be deposited only when GOAL receives your Approval Letter from the Georgia Department of Revenue). 
  

You may also pay by credit card or e-check by following the instructions at: 
http://www.goalscholarship.org/for_donors/contribute.asp

 

#2 Claim the Credit

File your Georgia income tax return and take the credit.

• GOAL will send you the Form IT-QEE-SSO1contribution acknowledgment form

• A copy of Form IT-QEE-SSO1 will need to be filed with your tax return along with a short Form IT-QEE-TP2, which will be available at tax time

• GOAL will send taxpayer filing guidance early next year and/or will post taxpayer filing guidance on its website

• By Georgia law, the taxpayer and the student scholarship organization (GOAL) will both receive a copy of the taxpayer’s Approval Letter from the Georgia Department of Revenue. If you have already submitted payment to GOAL, please simply keep this Approval Letter for your records. GOAL will process your payment.

Timing / Deadline

The sooner you contribute, the more students will benefit from scholarships for the coming academic year. In order to allow time for pre-approval process from the state of Georgia, which can take several weeks, it is recommended that donors begin the process with the submission of Form IT-QEE-TP1 to the Department of Revenue prior to November 1. The TP-1 form must be approved, and the qualifying gift received by Georgia GOAL, no later than December 31 to be eligible for that year's tax credit.

Until an individual or corporation receives approval from the Georgia Department of Revenue (“DOR”), no payment is required. Once the approved TP-1 is received by the donor, the donor then sends that form and their payment/contribution to Georgia GOAL, with a notation in the memo field for The Howard School.

If your Georgia income tax liability is less than the tax credit available to you, you may carry the excess forward for five years. If the amount of your tax credit, income tax withholdings, and estimated income tax payments exceed your Georgia income tax liability, the state of Georgia will refund the excess to you.

All contributions to Georgia GOAL must be postmarked within 60 days of the DOR approval date or December 31 of the applicable calendar year, whichever occurs first.

Matching Gifts

Your employer may match your GOAL contribution.

Many companies match the charitable contributions of their workforce to support causes that are important to their employees  GOAL is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and therefore qualifies as an organization that can receive corporate matching funds.

In the cases of matching gifts to GOAL, there is no tax credit being received by the corporate donor, so the matching gifts do not consume the cap on available tax credits.

Check with your HR department to find out if your employer has a matching gift policy.  Request the necessary forms, complete the relevant sections, and submit the paperwork to GOAL at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so that we can complete the process.

Visit our website at http://www.goalscholarship.org/for_donors/page/matching-gifts to view a list of companies that may match employee contributions made to GOAL.

Thank you for helping children attend The Howard School!

Questions? If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Meredith Chase, CFO/Business Office Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 404-377-7436, ext. 226.  Or, you can visit the GOAL website at www.goalscholarship.org.