Can I enter tuition paid in Dec 16, reported on 2016 1099Q, for Spring 2017 semester? The school says I won't get a 2016 1098T because I didn't start until 2017.

[keithkirchoff]

I claim my daughter as a dependent. She transferred to a university starting Spring 2017 semester. We received a statement from that university for tuition, fees & housing in December 2016. We paid the statement in December 2016 and therefore received a 1099-Q for that amount. However the university told me we won't receive a 2016 1098-T because she didn't attend that school in 2016. The mismatch results in higher taxes if I cannot offset the 1099-Q with the amount paid to the school in Dec 2016. Can I enter the amount paid in Dec 2016 on my 2016 return even though 1) she didn't attend the school in 2016 and 2) it won't show up on a 1098-T until 2017?

[KenH1 · Accepted solution]

Yes on both.  

If you paid tuition in 2016, you can claim it in the Education Expenses section in TurboTax, after entering your 1099-Q.

This is true even if you will not receive a 1098-T from the school until next year.

The IRS is aware of these timing differences between what taxpayers report and what the schools report.