I finished my 4 year college (bachelor's)outside the USA. what should be the answer to "Had X Earned Four Years of College Credit Before 2023?" ?

[DawnC]

It depends on when you completed your degree.  If you finished your degree in 2022 or before, answer YES.   If you finished during 2023, answer NO.  

To be eligible for the American Opportunity Credit, a student must not have completed the first four years of post-secondary education as of the beginning of the taxable year (Jan 1, 2023).

The "first four years" refers to the amount of academic credit that has been awarded.  Generally, it's what schools use to classify students (junior, senior, etc.).  A student who had not received more than four years of academic credit before 2023 would meet the year of study requirement under the American opportunity credit rules.

If you are unsure of whether you meet the year of study requirement, the school will be able to tell you how much academic credit was already awarded at the beginning of 2023.

[Hal_Al]

Q. Does completing a degree at a foreign college count as finishing 4 years of college?

A. Only if the school is a "eligible institution". 

For a full discussion, see https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/re-aoc-did-you-complete-the-first-fou...

[rasoul-nikmehr-g]

Thanks for your answer. But maybe I wasn't clear enough. So I did my bachelor's (4 years) and high school in my country far before 2022. Then I moved to the USA and started the University(Masters). So when it asks if I "Had ... earned Four Years of college credit before 2023?" logically my answer should be "yes". But my main confusion is that if it means I have finished it in the USA, or just generally asks if I have finished it (even in another country).

 

[KrisD15]

Your answer is "Yes" you finished the four years before 2023. 

The program is trying to determine if you might be eligible for an education credit and since you had your bachelor before 2023, you would not be eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit. 

It does not matter if the degree was earned in another country only if you were attending class in the prior year, in this case 2023, and still working on your bachelor's . You were not.