1098t box 1 and 5 amounts

[MG3243]

My first child is a freshman in college.  He is our dependent.  When entering Box 1 on our return, it contains payment made for Fall 2021 AND Spring 2022.  Box 5 only contains Fall 2021 (no Spring 2022) scholarships.  Do I leave this alone OR include Spring 2022 scholarship in box 5?

Maybe I'm thinking too much, but when he is in his final semester (Spring 2025) and receive tax forms for 2025 he will have box 1 empty (because we paid Spring '25 tuition in Dec '24) and box 5 will contain his $10,000 scholarship amount for Spring '25...so that would have to be included in his taxable income that year? 

[ThomasM125]

I think what you are saying is that the school reported the fall of 2022 tuition as being paid in 2021, even though the scholarship money was paid in 2022. If so, obviously the tuition was not paid in 2021, since the scholarship money was not disbursed until 2022.

If so, you should not enter the fall of 2022 tuition on your 2021 tax return. That way, the scholarship money and tuition will match up in the correct year. You will see an option to change the amount entered from your form 1098-T when you enter the form, underneath the education expense entry.

[Hal_Al]

In the 1098-T screen, click on the link "What if this is not what I paid the school" underneath box 1. You will then be able to enter the actual amounts paid. In your case, do not include the Spring 2022 tuition.