Alternatively; you can just not report the 1099-Q, at all, if your student-beneficiary has sufficient educational expenses, including room & board (even if he lives at home) to cover the distribution. You would still have to do the math to see if there were enough expenses left over for you to claim the tuition credit. You cannot double dip! When the box 1 amount on form 1099-Q is fully covered by expenses, TurboTax will enter nothing about the 1099-Q on the actual tax forms. But, it will prepare a 1099-Q worksheet for your records, in case of an IRS inquiry.
Otherwise. I'm afraid you are correct, it ain't easy in TurboTax. You need to know what you are doing.
When you do your return, enter the 1099-Q first. Then enter the 1098-T. You will eventually reach the screen "amount used to claim the education credit". If TT has not prepopulated that with $4000, you should enter (or change to) $4000 (assuming you are claiming a credit).
