Education

It depends. Where did you take the flight training? 

 Since this is an expense that did not lead to credits for your course, you would not be able to claim it for the American Opportunity Tax Credit.  

Depending on your degree, for the Lifetime Learning Credit only, these expenses may qualify if the course helps you acquire or improve job skills. However, you still would have had to taken the flight training lessons at an eligible educational institution   If you did not take them at an eligible educational institution, then no, these expenses would not be useable for any education tax credits. 

Can your parents claim you as a dependent?  If so, are they claiming you as a dependent?

If your parents are claiming you as a dependent on their return, then they are the ones who would enter your education expenses and claim the education credits.

Depending on your age, if you are under 24 and at least one of your parents are still alive, you would not be eligible for the refundable portion of the AOTC, even if they do not claim you as a dependent. 

"If you were under age 24 at the end of 2023 and the conditions listed below apply to you, you cannot claim any part of the American opportunity credit as a refundable credit on your tax return. Instead, you can claim your allowed credit, figured in Part II, only as a nonrefundable credit to reduce your tax.

You don't qualify for a refundable American opportunity credit if 1 (a, b, or c), 2, and 3 below apply to you.

1. You were:

a. Under age 18 at the end of 2023, or

b. Age 18 at the end of 2023 and your earned income (defined later) was less than one-half of your support (defined later), or

c. Over age 18 and under age 24 at the end of 2023 and a full-time student (defined later) and your earned income (defined later) was less than one-half of your support (defined later).

2.At least one of your parents was alive at the end of 2023.

3.You're not filing a joint return for 2023."  Instructions for form 8863

Tax Benefits for Education