Box 1 is Blank but Box 5 has amount do I still have to file 1098T

[austinsanti]

Hello everyone im currently doing my taxes right now and go to the education portion and am kind of new to this still. I heard you don't have to report your 1098-T if you don't want credit if box #5 isn't more then Box# 1 or 2. The only thing is my box number 1 is empty so can I just not file my 1098T?

[ThomasM125]

You should enter the form 1098-T even if box 1 is empty.

Box 1 reports your tuition. If your scholarship income is more than that you may have taxable income. I suggest you determine if there was any tuition paid during the year and if so you can enter it even though the box 1 amount is empty. You will see an option for that underneath the box 1 entry in TurboTax for your form 1098-T.

[austinsanti]

My tuition was paid for completely by some deal that my old high school has with the community college I attend. I didn't have to pay for any tuition. Do I still file?

[ThomasM125]

If the tuition was paid by your High School or some other entity, then there must have been tuition. You still need to report the 1098-T form as the IRS has a copy of it and the way it is listed they will treat the scholarship income as taxable to you. You just need to find out what the tuition was, which would probably be the amount of the scholarship income if you didn't get any of it, and enter it for the amount in box 1 on your 1098-T form. You will see an option for this underneath the box 1 entry in TurboTax, it will say what if this in not what was paid to this school?

[Hal_Al]

Q. : Box 1 is Blank but Box 5 has amount do I still have to file 1098T?

A.  Probably. The 1098-T is only an informational document. The numbers on it are not required to be entered onto your tax return. However receipt of a 1098-T frequently means you are either eligible for a tuition credit or possibly your student has taxable scholarship income.  You claim the tuition credit, or report scholarship income, based on your own financial records, not the 1098-T.

You say your  tuition was paid for completely by some deal that your old high school has with the community college.  This is called a tuition remission and would explain box 1 being blank.   So, if the scholarship, shown in box 5 is over and above the tuition remission, then it is most likely taxable income to you.  

Scholarships that pay for qualified educational expenses (QEE - tuition, fees, books and other course materials, including a required computer) is tax free.  Scholarship amounts that exceed QEE is taxable income, on the student’s tax return.

So, in TurboTax (TT), you enter the 1098-T.  Then you enter book and computer expenses and TT treats the difference as taxable.