Student Entrepreneur Starts Taxing Enterprise
It is said that the definition of an entrepreneur is someone who sees a need and puts together an organization to satisfy that need in an economic fashion.
This past summer Wickenburg High School student Sarah Blakeley recognized the need for public-school funding and set about forming a plan to help meet that need.
Sarah realized that a school district has the opportunity to reap significant tax dollars through a tax-credit system that is underutilized in Wickenburg.
Unfortunately the tax credit system is somewhat complicated, cumbersome, and often misunderstood by the public. Consequently, most people don’t take advantage of it and the schools suffer.
Blakeley put together a team of 10 to 15 students meeting with organizations, clubs, and community groups to educate them on the workings of the tax credit system. From these meetings, the students will meet individually with taxpayers when necessary to assist in the process and collect the contributions for the schools.
The potential impact of such a program is significant. Each Arizona taxpayer can donate up to $200, ($400 for a joint return), and receive a 100 percent credit on their Arizona tax return. Blakeley’s business plan estimates an average donation of $325 with a target of 500 donations yielding a net return to the schools of $165,500. This amount would be more than double what was collected last year through the same program.
Photo by Wickenburg Sun.
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