Education Credit

[dtwestp]

In previous years, I received the education credit for the tuition I paid for my daughter as a dependent. Now that she is no longer my dependent, do I still get to claim the tuition I paid?  If not, can she claim the credit?

[LindaA]

Your daughter will claim the education credit herself since she is no longer a dependent on your tax return, and she may include the amounts you paid for her tuition.

For more information, please see this TurboTax Blog: Who Should Take Education Tax Breaks: Parents or Students?

[dtwestp]

Thank you. What course do we need to take if my daughter has already filed with Turbo Tax? Does she have to do an amended or can we just submit some form? Also, why didn't the  school supply any numbers on the 1098-T form? They are all zero's. Are they not required?

[LindaA]

Since your daughter has already filed, she'll need to prepare an amended return to claim an education credit. The amendment must be mailed since the IRS doesn't let you file it electronically. 

Usually, the 1098-T will have tuition information in box 1 or box 2, but not both.  You should contact the school to find out why both amounts are zero. If the information is in error, they should issue you a corrected form. Have the tuition statement from the college handy when preparing your daughter's amended return since it will have information you need. Qualified higher education expenses may include the cost of books and materials, depending on the credit, so you'll need to find receipts or credit card statements for these expenses, too. TurboTax will ask questions during the interview to determine which credit your daughter qualifies for, if any.