TULSA, Okla. — Now that lawmakers passed the parental choice tax credit, it’s up to the Oklahoma Tax Commission to roll it out. The credit gives up to $7,500, depending on income, to parents sending their child to private school and up to $1,000 for home school.
The agency wrote up a proposal and asked for public input.
Here’s how it would work: the OTC would send a check to the school made out to the parent with a child already enrolled, the parent endorses it and then the school deposits it.
- Previous coverage >>> State seeks input on school tax credits amid initial concerns
Although Republican Representative Cody Maynard of Durant was not present to vote for the bill, he supported the legislation and said he would have voted “yes” for it. However, he sent a list of concerns to the OTC during the public input period, which is not expired. It included concerns over the cumbersome proposed process and untimely payouts.
As a CPA, he thinks parents should be able to make a claim on their regular tax return, so he could help parents get the credit in case they didn’t know it was available. They would have to know in order to file during a specific window of time, as proposed now.
His biggest issue with the implementation: he says it sounds like a voucher
“Vouchers… pull money away from public schools,” Maynard said. “One of the reasons I could support a tax credit is that it doesn’t.. reduce public school funding. But when we are looking at the rules that have promulgated, it looks like they pulled some of the wording from the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship which is a voucher-style system in the state. It [the current proposal] puts a lot of burden on the schools and it does things that we didn’t intend with a tax credit.”
2News asked Rep. Maynard how a true tax credit could be implemented while maintaining a system where people aren’t trying to “cheat.” By giving the money directly to the school, there is more transparency and accountability.
“Well, that’s the million-dollar question,” Maynard responded. “I do applaud the tax commission, they are trying to prevent fraud within the system, which is why I think they have structured the rules the way they have. And there really are some challenges we are going to have to just overcome in having a credit that is refundable up front.”
2News spoke with Senator Greg Treat last week,who argued the proposal was not a “voucher” but a tax credit that is organized differently than a traditional tax credit.
He added he has been working directly with the OTC to iron out a variety of concerns.
Representative Maynard said more legislation may be required if the OTC can not come up with a solution that aligns with the law passed.
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