Re: 1098-T and grandparents

If the grandparents are paying for college, can the parents of the student ( who is still a dependent) claim the deduction? If so, how? We are paying a portion of the expenses (i.e., room and board, books etc) as well as the student is paying a smaller portion.

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Only the person who claims the child as a dependent can claim the educational expenses. You will claim the expenses as if you paid them. Please view this TurboTax FAQ for more information.

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Yes, the parents can use those payments in figuring the educational credit. IRS publication 970, page 11 states:

" Note. Qualified education expenses paid by a dependent you claim on your tax return, or by a third party for that dependent, are considered paid by you."

You can download that publication from the IRS website using the Google search "pub 970 pdf site:irs.gov"