Do I need to file 1098-T if I am independent?

[Tuan]

I am an independent student and my gross income was less than the amount needed to file taxes but I am choosing to still file for 2016. Currently I have 2 grants and one subsidized loan that covers only my tuition and rent. Therefore I did not need to make any payments to my university.

Do I need to enter my 1098-T information?

On my 1098-T form, Box 1 is empty and Box 5 is more than the Amount in Box 2

[Hal_Al · Accepted solution]

Generally the 1098-T is only informational and does not need to be entered. But, if box 5 exceeds box 1 (or box 2) it usually indicates that you have taxable scholarship that must be reported.