*The following information is my own personal interpretation of this new tax credit. This is not professional advice.
If you homeschool in Idaho, there’s a new opportunity on the horizon that could be a great source of financial help when it comes to your child’s education—and it’s called the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit.
This brand new program, signed into law in 2025, begins accepting applications open January 15, 2026, through March 15, 2026. It offers refundable tax credits for a wide range of educational expenses for non public school students—including those for homeschoolers. In this post, I’ll walk you through what it is, who qualifies, what you can use it for, and how to get started.
🧾 What Is the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit?
The Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit (House Bill 93) gives families of non public school students a refundable tax credit of up to:
- $5,000 per student OR
- $7,500 per student with qualifying disabilities
That means you’ll get money back on your taxes, even if you don’t owe anything. This is not a deduction—it’s a full refund for eligible expenses. This also does not replace the child tax credit. It is in addition to, as this is a reimbursement program.
👨🏫 Who Qualifies?
✔️ Idaho residents with children ages 5–18 ( or up to age 21 for child with disabilities requiring ancillary personnel)
✔️ All forms of education nonpublic education count— private, non public online, and homeschool
✔️ Priority is given to families earning under 300% of the federal poverty level
✔️ If funds remain, any family can apply regardless of income
💵 What Can You Use It For?
The tax credit covers many of the expenses we’re already budgeting for:
- 📚 Curriculum
- 🧠 Tutoring services
- 📝 Standardized testing fees
- 💻 Online learning platforms
- 🎹 Extracurricular lessons (music, art, coding, etc.)
- 🧰 Educational supplies
- 💼 Private school tuition (if school is not accredited, must be able to show student growth)
These are reimbursable after the expenses are paid and verified.
📆 When Does It Start?
- Applications open January 2026
- You can apply for reimbursement of expenses from the 2025–2026 school year
- You’ll apply through the Idaho State Tax Commission, which will provide forms and instructions later this year
Right now, we’re in the prep stage. That means it’s a great time to begin tracking expenses and gathering receipts from curriculum purchases, tutoring, and anything else that may be eligible.
📝 What You Should Do Now
- Save your receipts
Start tracking curriculum, learning subscriptions, tutoring, and testing fees you’re already paying for. Open a folder in dropbox or google drive, screenshot those online payments and save them! - 👉 Download the Homeschool Expense Tracker Printable
- Check your income bracket
If your family earns under 300% of the federal poverty level, you’ll be among the first in line to qualify. Here’s what those numbers look like.- Household Size
300% of FPL (Approx.)
2 people $62,580
3 people $78,840
4 people $95,100
5 people $111,360
6 people $127,620
7 people $143,880
8 people $160,140
- Household Size
- Watch for updates
Bookmark the Idaho State Tax Commission site and subscribe to their email for updates. - Spread the word
Did you even know this was available?! Many homeschooling families don’t realize this credit is for them too—let’s help each other get prepared! - Create an account & mark your calendar for Jan. 16th 2026! Before you can apply, you’ll need to get a Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) account.
🔁 How This Differs from the Empowering Parents Grant
You may remember Idaho’s previous Empowering Parents Grant program. That one is no longer accepting applications, though families who were awarded funds in the past can still use them through ClassWallet.
| Empowering Parents Grant | Parental Choice Tax Credit | |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Still active? | ❌ Phased out | ✅ New as of 2025 |
| 💸 Prepaid funds? | Yes (via ClassWallet) | No—reimbursement after purchase |
| 🧾 Covers homeschool? | Yes | Yes |
| 🗓️ Application window | Closed | Opens January 2026 |
| 🧮 Amount | Up to $1,000/student | Up to $5,000/student |
I hope you found this helpful! What a great step in the right direction for Idaho families who are choosing a different schooling path for their children.
