An Act establishing an empowerment scholarship tax credit to expand educational opportunities and fair access to quality education for low-and-moderate-income students

This bill creates a refundable tax credit for Massachusetts taxpayers who donate money to scholarship programs at accredited local schools. The credit is designed to help low- and moderate-income students who cannot afford tuition by funding scholarships for those specific students. Taxpayers who make a qualified donation receive a credit equal to 30 percent of their donation, up to a maximum of $250,000 per donation. The state has set an annual cap of $20 million in total tax credits available under this program. Additionally, the bill allows these credits to be claimed alongside federal charitable deductions for the same donations.