Is my "Nonrefundable Education Credit" an "American Opportunity Credit" or "Hope Credit"?

[forrest128]

Hello!

TurboTax is asking me if I ever received the American Opportunity or Hope Credit. On my 2019 taxes form 

8863 it shows a "Nonrefundable Education Credit" on line 19, but doesn't say if its a Hope Credit, Lifetime Learning Credit, or American Opportunity Credit. 

So, do I need to say that I received one or both of those credits in a prior year? If so, is it an American Opportunity Credit or a Hope Credit? (For the number of years it has been claimed section)

Thank you!

[Bsch4477]

If you were enrolled in a degree program in college I think it is safe to assume that it was American Opportunity Credit for that year.  The Hope Credit is now the AOC. 

[Hal_Al]

If there is nothing on line 8 of form 8863, then it is more likely that the amount on line 19 is the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) rather than the American Opportunity Credit (AOC).  Check lines 30 and 31 of form 8863.  That should tell you whether you claimed the LLC or AOC in 2019. 

The Hope Credit did not exist in 2019. Starting with tax year 2009, the Hope credit had been supplanted by the more generous AOC.  

[forrest128]

Yeah, there is nothing on line 8, and line 31 has a number, so it is for sure the Lifetime Learning Credit. In this case, what should I mark? The title only mentions American Opportunity and Hope, yet the link they provide mentions the Lifetime Learning. And there is no box for "Number of years the lifetime learning credit was claimed".

Here's a screenshot of the exact wording in TurboTax: https://imgur.com/a/KMejApq

Here's the link they provide: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/college-and-education/bigger-better-college-tax-credit/L5IUvpsp...

I'm guessing I need to check "Yes, I received one" and leave both the number of years boxes empty?

Thank you for your time!!

[rjs · Accepted solution]

If you never received the American Opportunity Credit or the Hope Credit, answer No. It doesn't ask about the Lifetime Learning Credit because it doesn't matter how many years you received that. You can use the Lifetime Learning Credit as many times as you want. There is no limit.