Did my 1098-T,checked 4x & there's no errors, but I can't move forward bc the site says I have to fix an error. Only thing I can think of is bc it was 100% a grant. WDID?

[eest329423]

I gave the site an image to work from but it made me type in the information anyway. I've spent the last 20-30 min messing with the answers to see if anything would get the error message to go away, but nothing worked. It doesn't even show which box is wrong. Box one and five for me are both the same amount. I checked the box that says "this is not what I paid to the school", because that's true; I got a grant from the district and attended for free. But even if I ignore that box and only do the numbers, or try dumb things like putting/removing .00 on box one and five, nothing satisfies the system.

[Bsch4477]

Since box 1 and 5 are the same and you have no education expenses to claim education credit just delete that from and ignore it. 

[NCperson]

@eest329423 

Assuming you are eligible for AOTC, reduce Box 1 by $4000.  

Technically, you are required to report the scholarship income in Box 5 as that is taxable to you. No way around that. 

And normally, that income is reduced dollar for dollar by whatever is in Box 1, but you are not required to do so. 

The way to get the credit is to reduce Box 1 by up to $4,000. 

In other words, you are willing to pay tax on $4,000 of scholarships in return for obtaining up to $2500 in tax credits.  Even if you are in the 22% tax bracket, you'd pay $880 in additional income tax, but receive up to $2500 in tax credits - a good deal! 

However, if you are claimed by some else (normally your parents) you are not eligible for AOTC, so simply delete the form AND GIVE THE FORM TO YOUR PARENTS WHO COULD BE ELGIBLE FOR AOTC.

if you are not claimed by someone else (normally your parents), you are not eligible for the refundable portion of the tax credit if ALL THREE are true:

1) one of you parents are alive

2) you are filing other than MFJ

3) you are under 24 and you provide under 50% of your own support.  

Even if not eligible for the refundable portion of the tax credit, you can be eligible for up to $2500 of the non-refundable credit.

post more details about your situation.  Hopefully Turbo Tax is just getting confused when Box 1 and Box 5 are the same (i.e. netting to zero). 

does that help?

[eest329423]

• Thank you. You must have been right, as I eventually gave up and came back after getting some food, and when I opened the page again, it had added my college without issue.

I actually attended two colleges last year though. The first one was the one I mentioned where I got a grant to cover it, my community college where I graduated from, and the second is the uni where I’m currently at. The tuition was around $4000, and my form for this one says I’ve paid $100 (which to my knowledge was the application fee). I took a picture of the form and it filled itself out with no errors. However, TurboTax labels  that $100 as my whole tuition. Naturally, if I go back to edit that, it wants me to lie on the tax form lol.

[NCperson]

@eest329423 - read back through my post - you may be 'leaving money on the table' 

[eest329423]

Thanks for the quick reply! I left for a snack and came back and that form had added itself with no issue, oddly enough. Your other advice is relevant to my second form, though. I attended two schools in 2023; the first one, the one I posted about, was the community college I graduated from. As for the second…

box 1 on this 1098-T is $100. However, when I finish it to move on, it lists my entire tuition as $100, which was actually around $4000, and naturally if I correct it so that it says my correct tuition amount that means I’d be altering the form info. To my knowledge, the $100 is simply the application fee I paid (applied to the school late as they extended their deadline, which I paid in last spring 2023) as I really didn’t pay another cent.

As for the other things you mentioned, I’m currently 25, was 24 and 25 (Nov birthday)during the relevant semester, have lived on my own for a little over four years, and my parents haven’t contributed anything towards my tuition, rent, etc. Both of them are alive but I’ve been 100% self supporting. You might have guessed but I’m terrible at doing my taxes, so not sure what MFJ is. As for the 22%, if that means bottom 22% of income, that should apply to me as I’m so broke I’m  on Medicaid and get 100% of the allowed allotment for EBT/food stamps. I technically have two jobs but often barely make rent, or even make less than my rent. I’m dealing with medical issues that make it hard to work or attend school full time, I won’t bore you with irrelevant details. Long story, but yeah, no to 1 and 3 for sure on your question list.

as for box 1, is it just poorly labeled, and TurboTax doesn’t mean my tuition, but rather, just how much I’ve paid? Assuming the application fee counts as part of the paid tuition, I guess…?

[eest329423]

Oops, sorry about that, I meant that first reply to be to the person above you. I’m using a phone with a very cracked screen and I’m also very tired lol. My bad 

[eest329423]

• Thank you. You must have been right, as I eventually gave up and came back after getting some food, and when I opened the page again, it had added my college without issue.

I actually attended two colleges last year though. The first one was the one I mentioned where I got a grant to cover it, my community college where I graduated from, and the second is the uni where I’m currently at. The tuition was around $4000, and my form for this one says I’ve paid $100 (which to my knowledge was the application fee). I took a picture of the form and it filled itself out with no errors. However, TurboTax labels  that $100 as my whole tuition. Naturally, if I go back to edit that, it wants me to lie on the tax form lol.

[NCperson]

@eest329423 - let's take this slowly.

You can't satisfy the THREE tests so that means you should be eligible for the $1000 refundable credit, but probably not the non-refundable credit.  I know, it's convoluted. 

Please post back what is in Box 1 and Box 5 of Form 1098-T.   Since you should have two of them, post each one separately.  What was the source of the scholarship? Federal Pell Grant? or something else? Be specific. 

This is form 1098-T: 

www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1098t.pdf