I am an authorized payer for student loans, can I deduct the student loan interest on my taxes even though the loan is not in my name?

[macuser_22]

What do you mean by "authorized payer"?   There is no such thing in the tax code.  Unless your name in on the loan contract, you cannot deduct or claim it.  Paying a loan for someone else is simply an non-deducible or reportable gift to that person unless it exceeded $14,000 (2017), or $15,000 (2018) in which case you need to file a gift tax return (form709).

[SweetieJean]

A student borrower can set up one or more people to be authorized payers on their student loan account—this means those persons can make electronic payments on the student's loans.

[ntbaccam]

Thank you all for your help. Please close this thread as I am not able to on my end.

[xmasbaby0]

No need to close it.  Other users can still view it and learn from it.

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

Unless your name is on the loan as the borrower or you co-signed for the student loan, you cannot take the deduction.

STUDENT LOAN INTEREST

Only the person whose name is on the student loan and who is legally obligated to pay the loan can deduct the student loan interest.  If you did not sign or co-sign for the loan you cannot deduct the interest.

You cannot deduct student loan interest if you are being claimed as someone else’s dependent, or if you are filing as married filing separately.

The student loan interest deduction can reduce your taxable income by up to $2500

There is a phaseout for the Student loan interest deduction, which means the amount you can deduct gets reduced when your modified adjusted gross income hits certain income levels and is even eliminated at certain income levels -  

• If your filing status is single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er), then the phaseout begins at $65,000 until $80,000, after which the deduction is eliminated entirely.

• If your filing status is married filing joint, then the phaseout beings at  $130,000 until $160,000, after which the deduction is eliminated entirely.

 Enter the interest you paid for your student loan by going to Federal>Deductions and Credits>Education>Student Loan Interest Paid in 2017 (Form 1098E)

Look on your tax form to see your student loan interest deduction:

Form 1040A  line 18   or Form 1040  line 33

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/can-i-claim-a-deduction-for-student-loan-interest