Updated October 4, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, for START Saving accounts. The program says deposits can be excluded from taxable income, “up to $2,400.00 per year per Beneficiary for single Account Owners” and “up to $4,800 per year per Beneficiary for Account Owners”.
What Louisiana allows for 529 contributions
| Item | What the documents say |
|---|---|
| Treatment | Exclusion from Louisiana taxable income |
| Limit, START Saving | $2,400 per year per beneficiary for single account owners; $4,800 per year per beneficiary for joint |
| Limit, START K12 | $1,200 per beneficiary single, $2,400 joint (Department of Revenue 2022 guidance) |
| Carryforward | Any unused exclusion may be carried forward to later tax years |
| Source | Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (START) benefits page; Louisiana Department of Revenue, What’s New 2022 |
A $10,000 contribution by a married couple
A married couple who put $10,000 into a START Saving account for one child can exclude $4,800 this year, the joint figure per beneficiary. The other $5,200 is above the annual maximum, and the START FAQ says annual deposits in excess of the maximum are not deductible in subsequent years. The carryforward applies to unused exclusion room when a year’s deposit is below the cap.
Optional adviser-matching service
Balance education savings with retirement
For U.S. investors with $250,000 or more in investable assets. Want help balancing education savings with retirement? Request adviser introductions for your wider investment plan.
This is investment-adviser matching, not 529 enrollment or tax-return preparation.
WiserAdvisor is an independent matching service. Free to request, with no obligation to hire. Request up to three adviser introductions; a match is not guaranteed. Submitting its form allows calls, texts and emails from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisers.
Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form. Advisers pay for introductions; an introduction is not a Clear Money Guide recommendation.
Compare investment advisersOpens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
START K12
The Department of Revenue’s 2022 guidance says the K12 program “can exempt up to $1,200 per beneficiary from Louisiana taxable income”, and refunded K12 contributions are reported as recapture.
What the documents do not say
- Whether contributions to another state’s plan qualify.
- What happens to the START Saving exclusion on a nonqualified withdrawal.
- The START Saving benefits page is undated.
What changes in 2026
A 2025 legislative fiscal note describes a proposal to double the START K12 deduction to $2,400 single and $4,800 joint from tax year 2026. The documents read do not confirm it was enacted.
Federal rules
A state break sits beside the federal rules for 529 plans: the statute is 26 U.S.C. 529 and the IRS explains it in Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.
Common mistakes
- Mixing the START Saving limits with the smaller START K12 limits.
Related: how Louisiana taxes retirement income, whether Louisiana taxes pensions, the five questions behind any 529 state tax break, and the state-by-state table of 529 deductions.
Sources
- START Saving Program Benefits: https://www.startsaving.la.gov/benefits.aspx
- Louisiana Individual Income Tax What’s New 2022: https://esweb.revenue.louisiana.gov/IndividualIncomeTax/Content/Whats new 2022.pdf
- Fiscal Note on SB 935 (2021 Regular Session), START K-12 Accounts: https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1231739
- Fiscal Note on SB 14013 (2025 Regular Session), START K12 Program deduction: https://legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1403429
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 4, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the plan administrator or the agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.