If I had education expenses other than tuition, but my parents are claiming that on their taxes, do I include that amount on my taxes or say my education expenses are $0?

Forum|Forum|3 months ago
April 15, 2026
1 reply
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I am trying to make sure my scholarship money is showing as taxable since my parents paid for all of my education expenses.

TurboTax Online

Hal_Al

Level 15

If you are an undergrad, your parents only need $4000 of expenses to claim the maximum tuition credit. You may allocate all other qualified expenses to the scholarship, even if your parents actually paid them. Room and board are not qualified expenses for tax free scholarships.

Typically, the easiest way to do this is to reduce the box 1 amount (1098-T) by $4000 when you enter it in TT, on your return. You may enter the books and other expenses separately.

If box 5 is more than $4000 less than box 1, you do not even need to report it.

Here's a post on the five main points on form 1098-T:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/re-what-do-i-do-with-form-1098t/01/3760212#M63114