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Ohio tax credit

Free-to-you Donation

Ohio tax payers can get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to a qualifying Scholarship Granting Organization, up to $750 for individuals or $1500 for couples. You can say where your tax dollars go! Donate to the BBCS SGO, and the State of Ohio will reduce your tax bill up to $1500, meaning your tax dollars support BBCS at no cost to you!

  • individual: up to $750
  • joint filing: up to $1500

Read the FAQ and speak to a tax professional to see if you qualify.

How? Turn Taxes Into Scholarships

Donate to our SGO – BBCS EduFund – by April 15, 2025 to claim your tax credit on your 2024 Ohio taxes.

Online

Click here to donate with a credit card or ACH bank transfer.

Donate Online

Mail a Check

  1. Make your check payable to: BBCS EduFund 
  2. Fill out and print this form (click to download). Be sure to include an email address.
  3. Mail your check along with completed form to:
Bible Believers Christian School
3500 Spencerville Rd
Lima, OH 45805
Note: You may choose for us to delay the deposit of your check. Please specify a deposit date after 2025-01-01 on the form.

Getting Your Credit

After we receive your donation, we will send you a receipt to your email address.

If you have an accountant, give them this receipt when they file your taxes.  You are done.

If you file taxes yourself follow these steps:

  1. When filling out the Ohio Schedule of Credits, put the dollar amount of your donation on Line 15. (up to $750 for individuals, $1500 for couples)
  2. The donation value will be a component of the total credit that is entered on Line 16 of the IT 1040 Tax Return.

FAQ

Who is eligible for this tax credit?

Anybody with a tax liability before withholding or estimated payments is eligible. The maximum credit cannot exceed the total tax liability. Typically, you can see what your liability was last year by looking at line 13 of your 2023 Ohio IT 1040 State tax return.

Is this tax credit the same as a tax deduction?

No, a tax deduction reduces your taxable income, while a tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar credit for your donation. The non-refundable tax credit (up to $750 per person or $1,500 if married filing jointly) is then applied against any taxes you pay to the State of Ohio. The maximum credit cannot exceed your total tax liability. Your total tax liability is found on line 13 of your Ohio IT 1040 State tax return. 

Who benefits from my donation?

  • Students & Families: Donations to BBCS EduFund make private, Christian education affordable for more believing students and families.
  • You, the Ohio Taxpayer: Donors to BBCS EduFund qualify to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for their donations, which will be applied to their Ohio income tax liability, up to $750 (or $1,500 for couples filing jointly).

Can I choose for my donation to be earmarked for BBCS?

Yes! 100% of donations to BBCS EDuFund will be spent on scholarships to support believing families who desire a Christ-centered education for their children.

Can I donate more than $750?

Any amount may be donated to the SGO, however, only $750 per individual or entity ($1,500 if married filing jointly) may be claimed as a tax credit on your Ohio income tax return. The credit is non-refundable, so the tax benefit is limited to the amount of the donor’s Ohio tax liability.

Can I also claim my donation as a deduction on my Federal taxes? 

The majority of taxpayers take the standard deduction on their federal tax return and will be able to treat all their monetary donations to an SGO during the year as eligible for the Ohio credit. Taxpayers who itemize deductions on their federal return cannot “double dip” by taking an itemized charitable deduction on the federal return and taking the state tax credit. However, if the total amount donated to an SGO exceeds the Scholarship Donation Credit taken on the Ohio return, the excess remaining can be taken as a federal itemized charitable deduction. For example, if a single filing taxpayer made cash donations to an SGO of $1,000 during the tax year, they could potentially qualify for the max $750 credit on their Ohio return in addition to taking the remaining amount of $250 as an itemized charitable deduction on their federal return.

What does “non refundable tax credit” mean? 

A non-refundable tax credit is a credit that can lower your tax bill, sometimes to zero. However, with a non-refundable tax credit, you won’t receive the credit back as a refund if it exceeds your tax liability.