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New Member
posted Jan 24, 2024 6:40:20 AM

My tuition paid for does not qualify as a deduction because I make too much. Is there another way to claim it to get the deduction/credit?

I went to graduate school in 2022 and 2023 and took out student loans because I could not afford the tuition out of pocket, yet when I claim the deduction/credit, I make too much money for it to count. Is there another way I can claim the tuition paid?

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2 Replies
Level 15
Jan 24, 2024 6:50:14 AM

No. 

 

Both the student loan interest deduction and the tuition credit (only Lifetime Learning Credit for grad students) have income limits.

 

If you are self employed, there might be a chance to deduct it as a business expenses. The general rule is: Educational expenses to improve your current job skills are deductible. But learning a new job is not. From JK Lasser’s Your Income Tax 2013, pg 580: "For a deduction, the courses must be related to your existing job responsibilities and not lead to qualification for a new business. The tax court has allowed deductions for MBA expenses where individuals with some managerial or administrative experience took the courses to improve skills needed for their existing jobs." 

 

Job expenses for regular W-2 employees ceased in 2017.  Even in the "old days" , job expenses were only a misc. itemized deduction.  You only got to deduct that portion of  your misc. itemized deductions that exceeded 2% of your AGI,  and then only if your total  itemized deductions exceeded the standard deduction (which was doubled under the 2018 tax law. 

Expert Alumni
Jan 24, 2024 6:50:21 AM

No.

 

If you are excluded by income from deducting your education expenses, there is no other way to claim them.

 

If you are paying back student loans, you may deduct student loan interest but chances are that you'll be excluded by income too.

 

Please read this TurboTax article on the student loan interest deduction.