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Q. Should the exact amount from 1098T be entered and then the R&B separately?
A. Room and board are not qualified educational expense for either a tuition credit or for scholarships to be tax free. R&B are not included in box 1 of the 1098-T and only need to be entered if your have a 1099-Q (529/ESA distribution). In that case, yes, they are entered separately.
Q. Also where do I put orientation fees?
A. Qualified fees are usually already included in box 1 of the 1098-T. Other fees are only qualified expenses if they are "required for attendance" (basically, all students must pay them). Enter as books and material required to be purchased from the school.
The 1098-T is only an informational document. The numbers on it are not required to be entered onto your tax return. However receipt of a 1098-T frequently means you are either eligible for a tuition credit or possibly your student has taxable scholarship income.
If you claim the tuition credit, you do need to report that you got one or that you qualify for an exception (the TurboTax interview will handle this)
You claim the tuition credit, or report scholarship income, based on your own financial records, not the 1098-T. In the 1098-T screen, click on the link "What if this is not what I paid the school" underneath box 1. You will then be able to enter the actual amounts paid. You will also reach a screen that allows you to adjust the scholarship amount for "amounts not awarded for 2022 expenses".
Or if you find it easier, just change the numbers in boxes 1& 5 to what your records show. The 1098-T that you enter in TT is not sent to the IRS.
