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me2791
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My son goes to school in England at a qualified university that does not file 1098 forms. The IRS says it is an eligible school to get AOTC but TurboTax Kees denying it

 
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5 Replies

My son goes to school in England at a qualified university that does not file 1098 forms. The IRS says it is an eligible school to get AOTC but TurboTax Kees denying it

You can claim Foreign Education Expenses without a Form 1098-T.  But, you must have an EIN to claim these education expenses.  Check with the foreign school.  It is possible the school has an EIN for US reporting purposes.  Also, the school must participate in the Federal Student Aid program.

Recent IRS regulations require Eligible Educational Institutions to furnish students Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement.  The form reports the amount of tuition paid as well as the school's Employer Identification Number (EIN).  Without an EIN, you cannot claim education credits.  Once you obtain an EIN, you can proceed in TurboTax without Form 1098-T as long as there is an Exception.  See the screenshot attached.

The IRS states "for tax years beginning after June 29, 2015, the law requires a taxpayer (or a dependent) to have received a Form 1098-T from an eligible educational institution in order to claim the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit.  However, a taxpayer may claim one of these education benefits if the student does not receive a Form 1098-T because the student’s educational institution is not required to send a Form 1098-T to the student under existing rules (for example, if the student is a nonresident alien, has qualified education expenses paid entirely with scholarships, has qualified education expenses paid under a formal billing arrangement, or is enrolled in courses for which no credit is awarded).  If a student’s educational institution is not required to provide a Form 1098-T to the student, a taxpayer may claim one of these education benefits without a Form 1098-T if the taxpayer otherwise qualifies, can demonstrate that the taxpayer (or a dependent) was enrolled at an eligible educational institution, and can substantiate the payment of qualified tuition and related expenses."

Click this IRS link What is an Eligible Educational Institution? to search which schools qualify.  You can download an Excel spreadsheet that lists all eligible schools.

My son goes to school in England at a qualified university that does not file 1098 forms. The IRS says it is an eligible school to get AOTC but TurboTax Kees denying it

I am interested to know if the school in England will provide an EIN.  I am being told in the following from my daughter's eligible institution in Scotland:  The new requirement of the IRS has generated some confusion, but we have discussed this at length with Foreign Schools Financial Analysts at the US Department of Education who have confirmed that certifying letters are still acceptable.  I can also confirm that all other UK Universities are following this advice and continuing with the current practice.

Unfortunately, this is not what we are hearing in the U.S.  We are being told we DO need the Federal EIN.  I hope that someone else with knowledge from the US Department of Education will chime in.
User99
New Member

My son goes to school in England at a qualified university that does not file 1098 forms. The IRS says it is an eligible school to get AOTC but TurboTax Kees denying it

My son too has no 1098t from a qualified foreign university. Turbo Tax denies the credit if you don't fill the EIN. What's the way forward?

My son goes to school in England at a qualified university that does not file 1098 forms. The IRS says it is an eligible school to get AOTC but TurboTax Kees denying it

I am still being told by my daughter's university that they don't think they need an EIN and they wrote to the Department of Education for an answer based on my bugging them as did I , but no response and cannot find an answer anywhere.  Seems we are caught in a loop!

My son goes to school in England at a qualified university that does not file 1098 forms. The IRS says it is an eligible school to get AOTC but TurboTax Kees denying it

My daughter attends a qualified college in Canada.  The IRS "Exempt Organizations Select Check" tool shows quite a few Canadian colleges (and more importantly, their EINs!) that are eligible for tax deductible contributions.  Unfortunately, my daughter's college is not on the list, probably because it did not apply for an EIN.

<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-select-check">https://www.irs.gov/cha...>
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