Q. If I paid off my tuition from 2024 today, can I claim it on my 2024 taxes with the AOTC?
A. No. You cannot claim a payment made in a year later than the year the course was actually taken in.
But, it appears what you are calling "tuition from 2024" was actually only a bill for the winter 2024-2025 term. So since the classes were in 2025, you can count that payment on your 2025 tax return. You are correct, you woulda been able to claim the AOTC in 2024 if you had made the payment then. But, you are only allowed to claim the AOTC 4 times in your undergrad career, so you will probably still get 4 AOTCs.
"I see it says you can claim books, supplies and equipment for 2024 taxes if it’s purchased in Jan-march of 2025".
No, that's not correct. What is says is you can claim books, supplies and equipment purchased in 2024, for the first term in 2025, on your 2024 taxes. You can also claim tuition and fees paid in 2024, for the first term in 2025, on your 2024 taxes.
