Entering 1099-Q into Turbotax properly

[ualdriver]

@Hal_Al

On another thread, I received the answer linked and copied below (scroll down), and I am trying my best to follow the steps but it isn't working.  I cannot figure out the proper sequence of clicks, button presses, whatever, to find the screens I am supposed to enter the numbers in.  This is what I'm doing.  Tell me what I'm doing wrong please : (

This is what I'm doing to follow the instructions in the bolded paragraph:

Federal Taxes -> Deductions and Credits->Education section->I hit the "update" button next to "ESA and 529 qualified tuition programs (Form 1099-Q)->NO to were you the beneficiary of a ESA, YES Did you receive a 1099-Q->continue button->Someone else not listed here I put a dot in that->continue button->My son's name is on this screen, I select it->continue button->

Then I get a screen that says "You don't need to enter this 1099-Q info" with two choices- skip or add education expenses.  I press the "Add education expenses" button as skip doesn't help me.

Now I reach an Education Expenses Summary Screen with my kid's name.  On this screen I can "edit," "delete," "add a student," or "continue."  The only option that does anything is "Edit" so I press it.

Now I'm at an Education Summary Screen with 4 things- his school listed with an "edit" button which is the 1098-T entry screen I already did following previous instructions in the answer linked below, an "Other Education Expenses" with an edit button, and a "Scholarships and Grants" with $7256 listed next to it with an edit button per steps I followed in the answer linked below.    

No matter which buttons I press on these screens, there's no place I can see where I enter the $23,827 tuition or the $3205 tax-free assistance on simple screen as described.  

Would it be possible to get the step by button presses to be able to follow the steps below so that I can find the place where the $23,827 tuition and $3205 tax free assistance numbers can be entered.  Thanks!!

****LINK AND EXERPT BELOW FROM ANSWER I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW****

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/is-my-logic-correct-kid-in-college-52...

 Enter his 1099-Q. When asked who the student is answer: someone else not listed here (lying to TurboTax to get it to do what you want does not constitute lying to the IRS).  Enter the student's name when asked.  A few screens later, you'll get one simple screen to enter expenses. Press Done at the 1099-Q summary screen, to get there. Enter the amount of tuition as $23,827. Enter $3205 as the amount of tax-free assistance*. The last entry makes $3205 of the distribution unqualified but also applies the scholarship exception to the penalty.

[Hal_Al]

"Then I get a screen that says "You don't need to enter this 1099-Q info" with two choices- skip or add education expenses."

I've never seen that before. 

The only suggestion I have is to delete the 1099-Q and start over.  If you entered stuff at the 1098-T screen (Educational expenses and scholarships), delete that too. 

[ualdriver]

@Hal_Al 

Yikes.  Don't like reading when the expert hasn't seen something before!  : )

OK, I deleted the entire education section of my kid's return.  I'm confused as to what selections I should make as I go along to "trick" TurboTax into putting the proper entries in on my kid's return per the instructions from the other thread?

I'm getting to an Education Summary Screen.  I entered only my kid's college name and that has an edit button next to it.  When I hit the edit button, it wants me to enter 1098-T information.

The other items on the Education Summary screen are "Other Education Expenses," with a start button next to it,  "Scholarship/Grants (for all schools)," with a start button next to it, and "Education Information," with a start button next to it.  

What should I do to make the entries required if I start with the 1099-Q entry?  We're trying to get that $7256 amount on line 8r and then make the $23,827 and $3205 entries into his return as you described in your answer.  

[Hal_Al]

I haven't taken the time to read your long original thread nor do I remember the details.

Based on what you state here, you want to get  $7256 amount on line 8r (taxable scholarship) and then, for the 1099-Q,  enter  $23,827 of expenses   and $3205 as tax free assistance. Both will go on the student's return, since he is the recipient of the 529 distribution and the scholarship. 

In the educational expenses section, enter the 1098-T with 0 in box 1 and $7256 in box 5. Enter no other numbers. After completing the 1098-T screen, you should be able to exit that section (click on the Deductions & Credits tab) and not risk any entry errors. 

In the 1099-Q section, the interview should be straight forward:

• No to beneficiary of ESA
• Yes to receiving a 1099-Q
• You (the tax return filing student) are the recipient, not someone else (a wrong answer here is probably the reason for the strange screen)
• Someone else is the student
• Enter student's name  
• Fill out the1099-Q
• No & no to death or disability
• No to transfer to ABLE
• No to refund
• Click Done at the Form 1099-Q Summary screen
• Attended college/vocational school in 2023
• No to loan payments
• non dependent student expenses screen, enter your $23,827 and $3205 amounts.

Press continue. The next screen, summary of distributions, will display the taxable amount. Look for it on line 8z of Schedule 1

[ualdriver]

@Hal_Al 

Thanks so much for the bulleted, step by step instructions to do my son's return per your instructions.  That worked perfectly for entering the information on my return too.  Somehow I must have been omitting or missing a step that wasn't getting me to that screen to enter the expenses : (