M1CMD: Credit for Attaining Master's Degree in Teacher's Licensure Field (2024)

Who files this form

Use 2024 Schedule M1CMD to claim the Credit for Attaining Master’s Degree in Teacher’s Licensure Field. You may qualify if all of these are true:

• You began a master of arts or science degree program after June 30, 2017.
• You completed the program in 2024.
• Your program did not include pedagogy, meaning the art, occupation, or practice of teaching.
• You held a Minnesota teaching license issued by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) both when you began and when you completed the program.
• Your degree was in a core content area directly related to your licensure field.
• You paid tuition or required fees, books, or instructional materials for the program.

Core content areas are reading, English or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography.

Part-year residents and nonresidents may qualify based on their percentage of income taxable to Minnesota.

What you'll need

• Save transcripts and detailed payment records, such as student account statements, for tuition and required fees, books, and instructional materials. The department may ask for these records.
• Have totals for program expenses, scholarships, and employer reimbursements, including amounts from prior years.
• Have your PELSB licensure information, including function description, student grade level you teach, and file folder number.
• Have the accredited college or university name, degree program, and program start and completion dates.
• Use Schedule M1C to report the credit. Part-year residents and nonresidents also need the percentage from line 30 of Schedule M1NR.

How to file

Include Schedule M1CMD with your Form M1.

1. Enter your personal, teaching license, and degree program information, and complete the applicable checkboxes.
2. On line 1, enter total qualifying program expenses, including amounts paid in prior years.
3. Enter all program scholarships on line 2 and employer reimbursements on line 3, including amounts received in prior years.
4. Add lines 2 and 3 on line 4. Subtract line 4 from line 1 on line 5. If the result is zero or less, stop. You do not qualify.
5. On line 6, enter the smaller of line 5 or $2,500.

Full-year residents: Enter the line 6 amount on line 8 of Schedule M1C.

Part-year residents and nonresidents: Enter the percentage from line 30 of Schedule M1NR on line 7. Multiply line 6 by line 7, and enter the result on line 8 of both Schedule M1CMD and Schedule M1C.

Round amounts to the nearest whole dollar.

Common mistakes

• Missing the pedagogy checkbox: The text says you are not eligible unless you check the box stating that your program did not contain a pedagogy component. A program that included pedagogy does not qualify.
• Overlooking the program restrictions: Generally, programs in education, special education, literacy education, educational studies, and curriculum and instruction do not meet the core content definition and inherently contain pedagogy.
• Leaving out prior-year amounts: Include prior-year program expenses, scholarships, and employer reimbursements on the appropriate lines.
• Not reporting financial assistance: You may include expenses covered by scholarships or employer reimbursements on line 1, but you must report that assistance on lines 2 and 3.
• Continuing when line 5 is zero or less: Stop at line 5 if this applies. You do not qualify.
• Forgetting rounding or the attachment: Round amounts to whole dollars and include Schedule M1CMD with Form M1.

Questions people ask

How much is the credit?

The credit is nonrefundable and is limited to $2,500 for each degree. The calculation subtracts scholarships and employer reimbursements from qualifying expenses. Part-year residents and nonresidents also apply the percentage from line 30 of Schedule M1NR.

Which expenses qualify?

Tuition and required fees, books, and instructional materials purchased for your master’s degree program qualify. Include amounts paid in prior years.

Can I claim the credit more than once?

You may claim the credit only once for each master’s degree program completed in a core content area.

Must I have had a teaching license throughout the application process?

The stated requirement is that you held a Minnesota teaching license issued by PELSB when you began and when you completed the master’s degree program.

Where can I get help or forms?

Visit www.revenue.state.mn.us, email individual.incometax@state.mn.us, or call 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094.

Official sources

• https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2024-12/m1cmd-24.pdf