I have been in school for 7 years slowly completing my bachelors. 4 of those years I lived at home while paying my own education, but parents told me to give them tuition tax forms. They might have claimed The American opportunity tax credit, but no way of knowing because I am now estranged from them. I have received the credit for the past 3 years (2015, 2016, and 2017) as I am filling my own taxes now and assumed they never used it. I was reading more about the AOTC and I am concerned I have received the credit more than 4 times, which is the limit. Can I call the IRS and have them look up my social to see if the AOTC was used while I was dependent? If my parents did receive the credit, lets say 2 years they did, would I have to amend my last tax return for 2017 to take that credit off? If they did 3 times, do i amend the last 2 years...and so on? What happens if I amend my tax returns to remove the credit? Do I get fined?
