| What if you could make a difference in the lives of teens we serve here at The Joy House by redirecting some of your Georgia income tax liability? These are dollars you are already obligated to pay in state taxes. Does it sound too good to be true? It’s NOT, it is TRUE. This is possible through the Georgia Education Expense Tax Credit program. Since 2008, it has allowed individuals, limited liability companies, and corporate taxpayers in the state of Georgia to prepay and redirect a portion of their annual Georgia tax obligation to an independent school of their choice, such as The Joy House. The tax credits are as follows: A single individual can redirect up to $2,500 A married couple filing jointly can redirect up to $5,000 An individual who is a member of a limited liability company (LLC), shareholder of an “S” Corporation, or partner in a partnership (pass-through entity) can redirect up to $25,000 or 75% of tax liability A “C” corporation can redirect up to 75% of their annual Georgia tax obligation The redirected and pre-paid portion of the Georgia tax obligation is submitted to a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO) that, in turn, remits the funds to The Joy House. These funds provide financial assistance to the teens in our school. Our SSO of choice is the Georgia Student Scholarship Organization (GaSSO). This has become a very important source of funding for The Joy House over the past several years. It has been particularly popular for some business owners/partners. We are looking for other donor/partners to join us in this program. To participate in this program for tax year 2024 you must submit your pledge between now and December 31st. However, it is best to do this by mid-December so your information can be pre-verified before submittal to the DOR. It is a simple process to partner with us through this program. Please follow this link to the GaSSO website which will walk you through the steps to participate. If you have questions as you consider this please reach out to Steve via email: steve@thejoyhouse.org or via phone at 706-253-7569. Thanks so much for your consideration in making a difference in the lives of the teens we serve through this unique giving opportunity. Please see the personal testimony below from a long-term donor who has participated in this program. Personal testimony from David S., a long-term supporter of the Joy House “My wife and I have been applying for participation in this program for the last 5 years. Each January we make our donation to the Fund based on the commitment we submitted in the prior year. We can deduct this donation from our Georgia tax liability when we file our taxes the following year, so this is mostly just a prepayment of taxes which can then be used by the Joy House Academy. Since state taxes are also deducted from our paychecks, this normally means we end up overpaying on state taxes and get a refund after filing. The net effect of all this is essentially zero, in that I am just redirecting how the state is using the dollars I already owe them. I also prepare my own tax returns using a common software application used by millions, and this type of donation has been included in their forms. We are excited that there is a way we can continue to support the work being done by the entire team at the Joy House. I’m happy to discuss this individually in more detail, so please let Steve know if you want to talk with me.” |