Instructions / Frequently Asked Questions

Step 1. Estimate your state tax liability.

Step 2. Sign in to your account at  MyAlabamaTaxes.gov (MAT)

Step 3. Report a donation

  - Once signed in, scroll down until you see the “Tax Incentives” section.
  - Next, select “Manage tax incentives.”
  - Next, click the option for “Scholarship Granting Organization Tax Credit.”
  - Finally, click “Report a donation to an SGO” to make your reservation.

Step 4. Choose Arete Scholars as your SGO

  - Enter your personal information
  - Enter your reservation amount.
  - Select “Arete Scholars” from the “SGO Name” drop-down list.
  - Print your confirmation screen.

Step 4. Make your Donation

  - Donations must be mailed to Arete Scholars within 30 Days of the reservation.

  Arete Scholars Fund 
  500 Buford Hwy NE 
  Suite 1001 #1020 
  Suwanee, GA 30024

Step 6. Arete Scholars Will Verify Your Donation

  - Once we receive your donation payment, we will verity your donation with the ADOR and email you a donation receipt.
  - The ADOR will send you a receipt for your tax credit to use when filing

To create an account, you'll need the following:

- Your Social Security Number or EIN# for businesses
- Your Alabama Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your previous year's state tax return (or two years prior). Your federal AGI will not work.

Step 1: Go to myalabamataxes.alabama.gov

Step 2: On the MAT homepage, click on "New User? Sign up here." below the login box.

Step 3: Select the account type from the drop-down list.

CORPORATIONS 
- Select "Business Income Tax"
- Add your employer identification number and your Alabama AGI from your previous year's state tax return, then select "Validate."

INDIVIDUALS
- Select "Individual Income Tax"
- Add your social security number and your Alabama AGI from your previous year's state tax return, then select "Validate."

Step 4: Create a username, password, and secret question/answer.

Step 5: Enter your personal contact information.

Step 6: Choose to allow third party access or not.

Step 7: A print/save confirmation screen will appear. Please print for your records and make a note of your username and password.

Step 8: An authorization code for your initial login will be emailed to you and may take up to 24 hours. Once you receive your authorization code, log on to MyAlabamaTaxes.gov and validate your account.

 - Individuals can donate 100% of their Alabama income tax liability up to $100,000.

 - C corporations, S corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and pass-through entities can donate 100% of their income tax liability.

Tax credits expire on December 31st each year. However, tax credits are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we suggest submitting your request as early as you can.

Your payment must be received by Arete Scholars within 30 days of reserving the credit in MAT.

No. You cannot designate your tax-credit donation to a certain school or student, as it is specifically prohibited in the Alabama Accountability Act.

The Alabama Department of Revenue caps total donations for the program to $40 million. Tax credits are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we suggest submitting your request as early as you can.

The Alabama Accountability Act established a scholarship program for low income students to attend public or private schools. Tax-deductible donations for scholarships are managed by Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) such as Arete Scholars.

Read more about the the Alabama Accountability Act here.

No. Arete Scholars Fund, Inc is a nonprofit and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, and is recognized by the Alabama Department of Education as a Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO) under the Alabama law. 

Our generous partners include dozens of companies of all sizes. Some of our larger supporters include Waste Management, Walgreens, Staples, Dollar General, Chick-fil-A, Universal Health Services, and Gap, Inc.