The Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan is a simple, flexible way to save and invest for college – and save on your state income tax!
Proudly offered by the Treasurer of State’s office, your savings into an Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan can grow tax-deferred through a wide variety of investment options. Later, the money can be withdrawn tax-free to pay for qualified education expenses like tuition, room and board, and supplies at nearly any two- or four-year college, university, vocational, or trade school.
In 2018, Congress expanded the 529 provision to include tuition at public, private and parochial k-12 institutions. In 2021, the 529 provision was again expanded to include apprenticeship program expenses and student loan repayments.
ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families. They are a type of 529 account that offers tax-free savings for a wide range of disability-related expenses. A unique feature of ABLE accounts is that they offer the account owner the ability to save and invest without losing federal needs-based benefits.
ABLE accounts were created as a result of the passage of the Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (better known as the ABLE Act). The beneficiary of the account is the account owner, and income earned by the accounts is not taxed. Contributions to the account made by any person (the account beneficiary, family, friends, etc.) are made using post-tax dollars and are not tax-deductible. However, Arkansas allows for a state income tax deduction of up to $5,000 per taxpayer for contributions made to an ABLE account.
The Arkansas Financial Education Commission, sponsored by Sen. Missy Irvin and Rep. Bruce Cozart, was established by Act 1025 of 2021. It is chaired by the Treasurer of State. Its mission is to provide a unified effort to improve financial awareness throughout the state. The Financial Education Commission was formed to help respond to our state’s need for – and access to – free educational resources that will help Arkansans in all geographic areas and socioeconomic backgrounds achieve financial well-being.
​The nine-person Commission operates under the authority of the Arkansas State Treasurer. Six members represent state financial or education agencies and three members come from the Arkansas public, private or nonprofit sector.
