If I pay for spring college class now (December 2018), Can I claim a 1098T for a 2019 tax credit?

[phoop007]

If I pay for spring college class now (December 2018), Can I claim a 1098T for a 2019 tax credit? Or should I wait to pay for the classes January 1st to claim the credit at the end of 2019? 

[rjs]

You can only claim a tax credit for tuition in the year that you actually pay it. So if you want to claim the credit on your 2019 tax return, wait to make the payment until January 2019. If you pay it in December 2018 you can claim it on your 2018 tax return, but not on your 2019 tax return.