How much do you have to pay for college textbooks in order to claim it

[DanielV01]

It depends on the education benefit you are trying to claim.  For most taxpayers, the largest benefit is the American Opportunity Credit.  If you qualify for this credit, you may claim any amount of textbooks that you purchased, but only a maximum of $4000 of education expenses are needed to receive the maximum credit of up to $2500. (The expenses must be paid either by your money or through loans.  If you have grants or scholarships, these are subtracted first from your total expenses.  You still receive the full credit if the difference is at least $4000 that you paid for.).  ($1500 nonrefundable and $1000 refundable credits).  On the other hand, the other credits and deductions have different rules.  For more information, see the following FAQ:  https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/4952141