Designate your taxes
Smiling ODCS kindergarten graduate in a cap and gown

Ohio Scholarship Tax Credit

Turn your taxes into scholarships.

Transform a student’s life with the taxes you already pay, at no cost to you.

Find my number See how it works
Step 1

How much can you give and get back?

As an Ohio taxpayer, you can redirect part of your taxes to a scholarship for students at Open Door Christian Schools and receive a dollar-for-dollar Ohio tax credit.

Credits up to

$750per taxpayer
$1,500married filing jointly

Choose how you file and about how much you earn. The calculator shows how much you can give and get back.

Find your number

How do you file your Ohio taxes?
About how much was your household income last year?

A rough idea is fine.

Your number

$0

Choose an income range to see how much you can give and get back.

How it works

Three simple steps.

  1. 1

    Calculate

    Find how much you can give and get back using our 30-second calculator.

  2. 2

    Give

    Click “Designate your taxes” and choose Open Door Christian Schools.

  3. 3

    Claim

    Claim the Scholarship Donation Credit on your Ohio tax return, dollar for dollar.

Designate your taxes

Gifts must be made by December 31 to count for that tax year.

Same dollars. Eternal purpose.

This is not a new expense. Your simple act of faithful stewardship redirects money you were already sending to the state, changing a student’s life forever with a scholarship that provides a Christian education.

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Last year

Taxpayers
273
Redirected
$194,821
Scholarships
358

What does it cost me?

Nothing, $0.

Give by December 31 and get every dollar back at tax time. What you give is what you get back!

Up to your number, and to the extent the credit is usable on your Ohio return.

Questions, answered

Tap a question to open it. Tap any tax form to see it full size.

Where do I find my Ohio tax liability?

Look at line 8c of your Ohio IT 1040, "Income tax liability before credits." Last year's return is a good estimate for this year, as long as your income hasn't changed much.

Example Ohio IT 1040 page 2 with line 8c showing 4,131 dollars of income tax liability and line 9 showing 1,500 dollars of nonrefundable credits
Example return. Line 8c shows $4,131 of liability before credits.
What does this look like on a real return?

Here's the same household two years apart. Their withholding and liability were about the same each year. The difference is the $1,500 scholarship credit.

Example 2021 Ohio IT 1040 with no nonrefundable credits on line 9 and a refund of 86 dollars on line 27
Without the credit: line 9 is $0 and the refund on line 27 is $86.
Example 2022 Ohio IT 1040 with 1,500 dollars of nonrefundable credits on line 9 and a refund of 1,745 dollars on line 27
With the credit: line 9 shows $1,500 and the refund on line 27 grows to $1,745.
I don't have my return. How can I estimate my liability?

Use the calculator, or find your taxable income on this worksheet. A single filer needs about $40,210 of taxable income to use the full $750 credit; a married couple needs about $67,500 to use the full $1,500.

Worksheet showing Ohio tax brackets and expected tax liability by taxable income. 40,210 dollars of taxable income produces 750 dollars of liability, the individual maximum; 67,500 dollars produces 1,500 dollars, the married couple maximum.
Based on 2024 Ohio tax rates published by the Ohio Department of Taxation.
How much can I give and still get it all back?

Up to $750 per taxpayer, or $1,500 for married couples filing jointly, but never more than your Ohio tax liability. The credit is nonrefundable, so it can reduce your Ohio tax to zero but won't pay out beyond that. You're welcome to give more, but only the amount up to your number comes back as a credit.

Is the deadline April 15?

No. Your gift has to be made by December 31 to count for that tax year. You claim the credit when you file your return the following spring.

Do I have to be an ODCS parent?

No. Any Ohio taxpayer can take part: grandparents, alumni, church members, neighbors, and friends of the school. If someone shared this page with you, that's exactly why.

Can I choose which student receives my gift?

When you click “Designate your taxes” and choose Open Door Christian Schools, your gift funds ODCS scholarships. Gifts can't be directed to a specific student. Scholarships are awarded to eligible ODCS students.

What is OCEN, and why does my gift go through them?

Ohio law requires scholarship gifts to go through a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) certified by the Ohio Attorney General. OCEN is the certified SGO ODCS partners with. When you click “Designate your taxes,” you give through OCEN and choose Open Door Christian Schools. OCEN then emails you a receipt for your tax records.

How do I claim the credit when I file?

Claim the Scholarship Donation Credit on the Ohio Schedule of Credits and include the schedule with your Ohio IT 1040. The total carries to line 9 of your return. If you use a tax preparer, give them your OCEN receipt. Tax software will ask about it in the Ohio credits section.

Who can I talk to with questions?

Contact Greg Deckerd at gdeckerd@odcs.org. For advice about your own taxes, please talk with your tax professional. See Ohio Revised Code 5747.72 for the law behind the credit.

Each one. Reach one.

Most Ohio taxpayers have never heard of this credit. Share this page or the graphic with a grandparent, friend, or small group from church.

Designate your taxes Download the graphic

Questions? Greg Deckerd, gdeckerd@odcs.org

Shareable Open Door Christian Schools scholarship tax credit graphic