Ohio Tax Credit Program

The state of Ohio is one of 18 states that allows individual taxpayers (both single and filing jointly) and pass-through entities to receive a 100% tax credit for up to $750 ($1,500 for a couple filing jointly) in cash donations to certified scholarship granting organizations (SGOs).

The Ohio Association of Independent Schools, of which MVS is a member, has established OAIS SGO, a certified scholarship granting organization approved by the state of Ohio. Those who donate to OAIS SGO can receive a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $750 on their Ohio income tax returns.

Any SGO contribution made prior to the date of filing the tax return is eligible for the tax credit (that is, a donation made on April 10 could be claimed on a return filed April 15).

Each spouse in a married couple filing jointly may claim the tax credit up to $750, so long as both spouses make separate contributions to a qualified organization or organizations.

Visit the Ohio Association of Independent Schools (OAIS) website, make a gift there, and designate The Miami Valley School.  When you file your taxes for this calendar year, you can receive a tax credit of up to $750 for an individual or $1,500 from a couple filing jointly.

MVS recommends discussing your SGO contribution with your tax advisor before making your donation.

Make an SGO Contribution Now

Click here to make a gift online via the OAIS website. Make sure to designate The Miami Valley School! Upon completion, you will receive an immediate electronic confirmation of your contribution for your records.

The gift acknowledgment letter you receive from OAIS SGO can be used when filing your upcoming State of Ohio income taxes and claiming your tax credit. Make sure to retain the letter to send in with your tax return.

If you do not have a copy of your donation confirmation, MVS can help obtain one for you.

MVS recommends discussing your SGO contribution with your tax advisor before making your donation.

When you contribute to OAIS SGO and designate The Miami Valley School, MVS commits those resources to support need-based scholarships for students.

Your SGO contribution helps young people of promise receive a first-rate MVS education and reduces your Ohio tax liability…a WIN-WIN!

Consult your tax advisor to see if a donation to OAIS SGO is right for you.

All Ohio taxpayers, including individuals donating through a pass-through business entity.

MVS recommends reaching out to your tax advisor to discuss how an SGO donation will impact your Ohio tax return. 

A tax deduction reduces your taxable income. It does not provide a dollar-for-dollar benefit. A tax credit directly reduces the amount you owe in taxes. In the SGO program, each dollar you donate reduces what you owe in taxes by a dollar (up to $750 for an individual and $1,500 for a couple filing jointly).

MVS recommends reaching out to your tax advisor to discuss how an SGO donation will impact your Ohio tax return. 

You may make a donation to OAIS SGO in any amount. However, the amount you will receive in a tax credit is capped at your full amount of state tax liability or $750 (single) or $1,500 (couple filing jointly), whichever is less.

MVS recommends reaching out to your tax advisor to discuss how an SGO donation will impact your Ohio tax return. 

Review your Ohio tax liability from last year (1040 IT, line 8c) to help estimate the amount of your Ohio tax liability for this year against which the credit can be taken.

MVS recommends reaching out to your tax advisor to discuss how an SGO donation will impact your Ohio tax return. 

You will need a copy of the gift acknowledgment letter that you receive from OAIS SGO. If you cannot find your gift acknowledgment letter, MVS can help obtain one for you.

Creating an account is optional. However, if you do create an OAIS account, you can access your gift acknowledgement letter at any time if you lose it. You can also use your OAIS account year after year.

No, the Ohio SGO tax credit is not the same thing as the MVS Annual Fund.

While MVS does offer scholarships to students, the school on its own is not a scholarship granting organization per the State of Ohio.

The Ohio Association of Independent Schools, of which MVS is a member, has created an scholarship granting organization to support financial aid at all of its member schools. OAIS allows those who contribute to OAIS SGO to designate their funds towards their member school of choice (make sure to choose MVS on the SGO donation page).

The MVS Annual Fund is The Miami Valley School’s yearly campaign to raise funds in support of the school’s daily operating budget. Contributions to the Annual Fund make a tremendous and immediate impact on all educational programs and enable the school to respond to urgent and ongoing operational priorities. Simply put, the Annual Fund lets MVS say YES when needs arise during the school year. We hope that all community members contribute to the Annual Fund each year.

When you claim the Ohio SGO tax credit through OAIS SGO, you are essentially making a restricted gift to support need-based financial aid at the school. The Annual Fund provides unrestricted support for essential school operations. All contributions to the MVS Annual Fund are tax-deductible since The Miami Valley School is a recognized 501(c)(3) educational institution.

However, your contribution to OAIS SGO still helps MVS! The funds MVS receives from SGO contributions helps the school not draw as heavily from the Annual Fund to support student financial aid.

MVS is grateful for all contributions to both the Annual Fund and OAIS SGO, and we encourage community members to consider gifts to both.

Confer with your tax advisor to determine whether an OAIS SGO contribution is right for you.

All contributions to the MVS Annual Fund are tax-deductible since The Miami Valley School is a recognized 501(c)(3) educational institution.

However, your gift to MVS, while important, valued, and tax-deductible, is not a contribution to OAIS SGO, which means you cannot claim Ohio’s SGO tax credit for your Annual Fund gift. Only donations to the SGO may be put towards tax credit.

MVS recommends reaching out to your tax advisor to discuss how an SGO donation will impact your Ohio tax return. 

Your contribution to the SGO counts towards your recognition level for annual giving. However, donations to the SGO are restricted to being used for financial aid, while the MVS Annual Fund provides unrestricted support for critical school operations. MVS encourages community members to consider supporting OAIS SGO in addition to their yearly gift to the Annual Fund.

The unrestricted nature of the Annual Fund means that it is an essential source of funding for the school. The Annual Fund supports MVS’ operating budget year-over-year, allowing MVS to say YES to needs that arise.

Annual Fund contributions make a tremendous and immediate impact on all educational programs and enable the school to respond to urgent and ongoing operational priorities, including:

• -Enhancing the breadth and depth of the academic and co-curricular programs that have always been hallmarks of an MVS education
• -Attracting and retaining talented and passionate faculty and staff
• -Maintaining our campus
• -Supporting the arts, athletics, and technology
• -And more! The Annual Fund touches all divisions of the school, supporting every student and staff member, every day.

MVS recommends reaching out to your tax advisor to discuss how your Annual Fund gift and SGO contribution will impact your Ohio tax return.