student loans

9 replies
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If I pay off my child's student loan in full, do I have to file any tax form in any of the below scenarios:

-the child pays back little by little over the lifetime

-I didnt want the child to pay back

Ask the Experts - MetLife - Feb 2026

xmasbaby0

Level 15

If you co-signed the student loan when your child was your dependent you can deduct the interest you paid for the student loan on your own tax return. Beyond that, there is nothing for you to enter on a tax return about the loan.

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DawnC

Employee Tax Expert

No. You may receive Form 1098-E if you pay student loan interest, but that is an informational only document and does not need to be filed with your tax return.

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NN15Author

Level 3

I am not asking about student loan interest. I need to know if I paid off my childs student loan fully, do I have to file a tax form (I was told) so it counts towards the lifetime gift limit to the child.

xmasbaby0

Level 15

If your name was on that loan as a co-signer, paying it off was not a gift. You just paid off a loan that you were already legally obligated to pay if your child defaulted.