1098-T includes aid and charges from two different years, do I only include aid/charges for the year I am filing?

[oldebones]

Some of the charges and credits on my 1098-T are dated for January of the next year, do I include these charges and credits? There is a section that asks "Did your aid include amounts not awarded for 2015 expenses?" Should I put the aid dated for the next year? Also, in box 2 it asks for the amounts billed for tuition and related expenses, do I only include the bills for 2015?

[KrisD]

Are you filing 2015 or 2016 tax year?

[oldebones]

I was filing my 2016 and noticed the question "Did your aid include amounts not awarded for 2015 expenses?", and after sending the current year's taxes in I have the feeling I did both this years and last wrong. I am currently looking at 2015 to possibly send in an amended tax return. Last year I owed on my taxes and I'm thinking this may be the reason why.

[KrisD · Accepted solution]

Schools should be posting what you paid Box 1 as well as what was billed box 2.
The Taxpayer claims what he or she paid.

If your school bills you in December for class that start in January, you have the option of paying them in December to claim that amount that year, or in January and claim that amount next year. 

[oldebones]

Both of my 1098-Ts only shows an amount in box 2. Box 1 is empty. On my 2015 form, box 2 includes amounts dated for sept. '15 and also jan '16. My 2016 form has transaction dates from 2016 and 2017.
So if I am understanding correctly, amounts reported on each respective form should correlate to the year that the transactions are dated. So for my 2015 form add up the Billed amounts and enter that.

[KrisD]

If they are only using box 2, they are only telling what they billed you.
(some schools only report one of the two boxes)
If the first year (2015?) they billed you for classes, but you did not pay for the classes,
you could have used that amount for the next year.
If they billed you for 2,000 but you only paid 1,500, you can use 1,500 in tuition fees paid

So, YES, if I understand you correctly, the amounts on the 1098-T are not split or carried over by the school, (only you can do that) so what they report is what was billed. If they split it, you can add it together.
If 2015 says Sept 15 and Jan 16, add it together for what was billed in 2015
The 2016 1098-T should NOT include the amount billed for JAN 2016, because it was reported in 2015

[oldebones]

Okay, that clears it up for me. Thanks!