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Returning Member
posted May 31, 2019 9:45:26 PM

When i asked my college why I did not receive my 1098-T form they informed me that it was because I do not qualify for it. Is that true?

Do I still claim that I am going to school and its costs?

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1 Replies
New Member
May 31, 2019 9:45:28 PM

Yes, this is true.  For 2016 an eligible educational institution is not required to provide the Form 1098-T to you in certain circumstances, for example:

  1. Nonresident alien students, unless the student requests the institution to file  Form 1098-T,
  2. Students whose tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with scholarships or grants, or
  3. Students for whom the institution does not maintain a separate financial account and whose qualified tuition and related expenses are covered by a formal billing arrangement with the student’s employer or a government agency, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.

However you can still claim your 2016 qualified education expenses on your tax return. You don't necessarily need a Form 1098-T to claim any of the various federal tax benefits for educational expenses.  These include:

1) American Opportunity Credit

2) Lifetime Learning Credit

3) Tuition & Fees Deduction

4) Educational expense (deduction) related to your self-employment; or as an educational expense undertaken at the request of your employer for which you did not get reimbursed.

An official 1098-T is not absolutely required in order to claim any of them.  The IRS does not explicitly mandate that you as a taxpayer have a 1098-T.  There are exceptions to the rule.  Proof of your expenses in the form cancelled checks to your school, bank statements, or a statement of student account from your school's registrar office are good enough to satisfy the recordkeeping provisions of the law.

In TurboTax, you'll simply tell the program that "yes" you incurred educational expenses, but that "no" you don't have a 1098-T.  You'll then be presented with the opportunity to input the dollar amounts of your educational expenses. You may additionally find the information at the following TurboTax FAQ pages helpful:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Deductions-and-Credits/What-are-Education-Tax-Credits-/INF14427.html

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/College/Video--What-Educational-Expenses-Are-Tax-Deductible-/INF20538.html 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/5664307

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/5663752