I paid tuition out of pocket last year. Where do I enter that?

[lcullers13]

The cashiers office at my school told me that my 1098-T only shows what was billed to me, not what was paid. I have account information through my school and bank that shows how much I paid for tuition out of pocket. But also my 1098-T is showing that the amount in box 2 includes amounts for an academic period starting in January 2017. I know my 2017 tuition wasn't paid at all in 2016, so I'm really confused why it's being recorded for 2016. So my question is where exactly do I record my out of pocket tuition payment? And should I leave the box 2 amount as is or should I change it to what I paid for that 2016 semester, including loans, scholarships, and out of pocket?

[KrisD]

Enter the 1098-T as the school reported it. Under Box 2 on the 1098-T screen click the link that asks "What if this is not what I paid to the school?" and enter what was paid in 2016. This includes scholarships, grants, loans, gifts, and cash.

(Please see screen shot below)

Keep a copy of your school account statement and the 1098-T with your tax file.

Next year you may need to refer to the 2016 1098-T if classes for 2017 were billed on the 2016 1098-T, but will be paid in 2017.