I went to higher education for more than 4 years, but can't figure out how to let the program know that I don't qualify for the American Opportunity Credit.

I've attended Indiana university Southeast for more than 4 years, and one of the stipulations of the American Opportunity Credit is that it is for students in the first 4 years. This should preclude me yes? How do I let the tax program know this and take the deduction out of the file?

1215

Expert Alumni

May 31, 2019 11:37:16 PM

It depends. While you may have been in school for more than 4 years, you could still qualify for the credit if you have not claimed American Opportunity credit for 4 years and you were still in undergraduate classes. Here is an FAQ with more information: https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/5358150

Having said this, if you do not qualify then there are two ways to state this in TurboTax. One way is to state for how many years you've claimed the credit (4). The other way is to say that you were taking post-graduate classes (that may be a stretch, but you will still be pivoted to the other school education benefits, the Lifetime Learning Credit and the Tuitiion and Fees Deduction).

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I went to higher education for more than 4 years, but can't figure out how to let the program know that I don't qualify for the American Opportunity Credit.