The New Millennium Classrooms Act was offered as an amendment to the Affordable Education Act, which passed the Senate last evening. The New Millennium Classrooms Act will expand the parameters of the current tax deduction and add a tax credit. Qualified donations include computers, peripheral equipment, software and fiber optic cable related to computer use. Expand the age limit to include equipment three years old or less.
Many companies update their equipment every three to five years.
This will allow computer manufacturers to donate equipment returned to them through leasing and trade-in programs. Expand the definition of eligible donors to include non-profit senior centers, as defined by the Older Americans Act of 1965. Mandates that the donated computers must be equipped with an operating system for the donor company to qualify for the enhanced tax credits. This provision ensures that the computers will be fully functional upon arrival at the school. Schools will not be burdened with the added costs of procuring and installing an operating system.