No 1098T or EIN for UK University

[mike 108]

I previously posted on this question, but I have a followup and the previous thread seems to be closed. 

My daughter is a student at a University in the UK (University of London). The school does not issue 1098s. And, after a LOT of back and forth with them, it appears they do not have a U.S. EIN. 

In my previous question, when I asked if we could still submit her education expenses on our taxes, the advice was "Enter your daughter’s education expense as if you received a Form 1098-T if her school has an EIN number." That does seem consistent with the IRS guidance, however Turbo Tax itself seems to require the EIN to submit the information. Is there a workaround -- that is, how can I, using Turbo Tax (Home & Business Edition) , enter this information without having the school's 1098-T. 

[Vanessa A]

If your daughter is enrolled at an eligible institution, then you can claim the tax credit.  In order to be eligible, the school would have to be run by the US Department of Education and must have an EIN.  

You would not necessarily need a 1098-T, as it is possible that for some reason the school would not have been required to send you one, however, you would definitely need the EIN from an eligible institution.  This is why TurboTax is not allowing you to proceed.  Without, that information, you would need to delete the education information. 

"Enter your daughter’s education expense as if you received a Form 1098-T if her school has an EIN nu...."  Since your daughters school does not have an EIN, this does not apply so you cannot claim the credit. 

[mike 108]

I appreciate your quick response! But, this seems to contradict what I've read both elsewhere and on this board. The University does have (and has shared) both a FASFA number, as well as an OPE (Office of Post-secondary Education) ID number, so it is recognized by U.S. DOE as an eligible institution. That appears to be the prerequisite to claim a credit. And, the IRS does allow you to claim the credit without a 1098. Is there really not a workaround for this? 

(BTW, I suspect the University does have an EIN and for whatever reason either won't look for it or isn't looking at the right documentation. But, I've been waiting for weeks to get this resolved and am wondering if there's any other way around it other than giving up on a deduction worth thousands of dollars.) 

[BrittanyS]

Yes, the credit can be claimed without the 1098.  However, the EIN is needed to enter the information in order for the credit to be claimed.  The EIN of the University is what notifies the IRS that the institute is a qualified institute for the credit.  Considering the foreign university is participating in a US Department of Education student aid program an EIN would have been issued to them.  

To claim the American opportunity credit, you must provide the educational institution's employer identification number (EIN) on your Form 8863. You should be able to obtain this information from Form 1098-T or the educational institution. See chapter 2, page 9 of Publication 970 Tax Benefits for Education

The School should be able to provide the information for tax purposes if they are going to be listed as a qualified institute.  

@mike 108