Is the link between "College Student Information and Student information worksheet broken?

[MarcosPass42]

I revised all entries. Problem persits

[RobertB4444]

Please clarify - what error messages are you seeing and what are you attempting to do that is not carrying over?

[MarcosPass42]

I am using the desktop  Premium version.

The entries in the college student information work sheet donot carry correctly into the student person worksheet.  Even if I entered correct entries  in the student worksheet to classify the student as eligible for the student credits,  the entries in the People student worksheet reverses the entries  and do not qualified the student for the credits.

I just spent 2 hours with customer support and tax expert. they shared my computer and saw the problem.

In addition the form 1099-Q  questionnaire has a section that is obsolete.  It asks for distributions before and after July 4, 2025.  The progarm does not let you answer. The program says that programmers are still working  on Obra recent law changes. 

For  your information:  The IRS does not have any law updates or  proposal to amend 1099-Q.  

OBRA  is a 1993 law.

If you are confused. so am I.  

The only help I received today is that there are two  program udates in February 2026,  the 18th and 25th.

Thank you for your message.

[cardsfor4]

I have been having the same issue for several days! I have tried overriding, and still will not take. I look for updates daily, but none yet. :(

[anonymouse1]

Part IV of the Student Info worksheet says you can't enter information there (you can, but sometimes it gets changed).  It says to use the People worksheet for the student instead - there's even a QuickZoom link to that worksheet so you don't have to scroll to the bottom of Forms to get there.  I haven't had a problem with TT changing my information after I entered Room and Board in the student's People Worksheet.  But you have to go to the Forms, which users are reporting is not possible in the Online version.  There is no interview process asking about qualified educational expenses.  There is supposedly a fix (for the desktop version?  Or online as well?) coming out tomorrow.

[anonymouse1]

Oh, and it doesn't apply to us this year so I didn't see the question about July 4 2025, but that's the date the OBBBA (or OB3A) was passed that expanded use of 529 funds for things like apprenticeships, licensing exams, technical education, and I think K-12 education?  So if you used it for college tuition and expenses like room and board for a college student in a degree program in the spring semester or a summer program, you're OK just like last year.  https://www.blackrock.com/us/financial-professionals/insights/529-plans-and-the-obbba-what-you-need-...

[MarilynG1]

TurboTax doesn't ask about Room and Board expenses for a student in the Education section, as these are only qualified expenses for 529 distributions.  If your 1099-Q distribution was entirely used for qualified expenses (including room and board), you don't need to enter it in your return.  Keep your own records of what was paid with the distribution.

If scholarship funds reported on a 1098-T were used for room and board, this is noted in the Education section and is reported as taxable income. 

Here's more info on Form 1098-T.

@MarcosPass42 

[MarcosPass42]

Thank you MarilynG1 for your message.

My main concern is the "link between "College Student Information and Student information worksheet ".
It is not possible to reach the tech programmers to tell them about glitches. How do they know what to fix.
The customer support agent has no way in connecting with software Techs (as stated by them).
The frustration mounts and I linger waiting for the fixes in the weekly updates.
TurboTax should create reasonable communication methods between the programmers and users.

[cardsfor4]

I was having the same issue (for weeks) - linking the worksheets. However, tried something on my own as no good Intuit support. I deleted the "student" and "people" worksheets. Then, I went into the "interview" process (instead of entering student responses on the 'actual" worksheets). By answering the student-related questions through the interview process, it populated both worksheets correctly - no "link: issues. I was also able to then complete the return, and successfully e-file it (so no behind the scenes conflicting data issues, etc.) I hope this also works for you! 🙂

[anonymouse1]

This is not an acceptable response by TT.  TT calculates the taxable portion of 529 distributions, so if a 1099-Q is entered, there has to be a way to enter the qualified expenses so that the taxable portion is correct.  The worksheets are saved for the customer's records, and even though the taxpayer should save receipts in case of an audit, this is no different from the worksheets which are saved for various itemized deductions on Schedule A, or interest and dividends on Schedule B.  If the interview process asks for all 1099-INT and 1099-DIV, etc. then it asks for 1099-Q, they should be entered, and any deductible expenses that offset that 1099 income should also have a way to be entered.  We buy TT each year so that the tax preparation process is simplified to just an interview process provided we have all the necessary forms (W-2s and 1099s for income, 1098-Ts, state estimated tax receipts, property tax receipts, or our own records for non-cash charitable contributions, etc. for itemized deductions) and when we're asked to enter some but not others, it leads to oversights, incorrect tax calculations, possible audits, and ultimately loss of confidence in TT's product.  Might as well use the IRS's Fillable Forms at that point.  Or is TurboTax going to lobby to kill that too?

[MarcosPass42]

Thank you so much. I will try this method after I see the February 18 update.

[MarcosPass42]

Any chance that communication with Programmers will improve?

[MarcosPass42]

Good Morning and thank you all  for your support.

 With Today upgrade 02/19/2026 I was able to populate the student worksheet and and complete the return.

What an adventure.