Thank you so much! Let me please note a few things to answer your questions and make sure the below applies in light of answers to your questions:
Employer didn't directly pay school. Employer paid me. The first $5,250 didn't show up on taxes, but the remainder showed up in my W-2 as income.
The 4,000 is added to my income because I got 9k in tuition reimbursement, 5250 is tax free, the amount above that has to be counted as w-2 income.
Basically, Employer paid all of the tuition through reimbursing me. But because I exceeded the $5,250 tax free, anything above is income on W-2. So I am thinking I can enter the full amount I paid to the school, enter the amount the employer reimbursed tax free $5,250, and I would still get a credit off the amount exceeding $5,250 because while I did get reimbursed, that reimbursement counted as income for me. It would be the same thing if I paid the tuition from my salary - I earn money, I pay tuition with it, and I receive Lifetime Learning Credit from it. However, in this case I receive income in the form of tuition reimbursement that gets counted as income on my w-2 (the part above the tax free 5250), I pay tuition with it, I get credit.
Yes, the issue is mainly that employer is reimbursing me for 2021 classes in 2022.
Hope this clarifies and means the below is correct in light of answers to my questions.
Thanks again!!
