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March 7, 2023
Question

1099-Q form not calculating correctly in box 2c & 3.

  • March 7, 2023
  • 1 reply
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These boxes are not calculating correctly under "For Purposes of Regular Tax" column and are adding excess distributions that are being taxed as added income. There was a post about this earlier, but it has since disappeared.

    1 reply

    pkdunnAuthor
    March 7, 2023

    The 1099-Q form from the 529 QTP shows a Gross Distribution of $15,821.19.  The 1098-T from the university shows $11,857.84 for Qualified Tuition and $7,300 was entered for Room & Board for a total of $19,157.84 for qualified expenses. Line 1 of the 1099-Q in TurboTax under "Qualified Tuition Program Computation of Taxable Distribution" shows the $15,821 correctly for distributions in both columns. Line 2c "Adjusted Qualified Higher Education Expenses applied" shows $8,491 in the first column, but $15,821 in the second column. Line 3 shows an "Excess Distribution" of $7,330 in column 1 and 0 in column 2. Line 7 shows $2,594 as taxable income in column 1 and 0 for column 2.

     

    How did my $19,157.84 in qualified expenses get reduced down to $8,491? How do I get charged $2,594 in taxable income when my qualified expenses were GREATER than my distributions?

    Hal_Al
    Employee
    March 7, 2023

    TurboTax has mistakenly assigned $10,000 of your expenses to the tuition credit, reducing the amount available to keep the 529 distribution tax free.

    Delete the 1099-Q, it does not need to be entered.  

    You can just not report the 1099-Q, at all, if your student-beneficiary has sufficient educational expenses, including room & board (even if he lives at home) to cover the distribution. When the box 1 amount on form 1099-Q is fully covered by expenses, TurboTax will enter nothing about the 1099-Q on the actual tax forms. But, it will prepare a 1099-Q worksheet for your records. You would still have to do the math to see if there were enough expenses left over for you to claim the tuition credit. You also cannot count expenses that were paid by tax free scholarships. You cannot double dip! 

    On form 1099-Q, instructions to the recipient reads: "Nontaxable distributions from CESAs and QTPs are not required to be reported on your income tax return. You must determine the taxability of any distribution." 

     

    It looks like you have $3337 (19158 -15821) left over to claim the American Opportunity Credit (AOC). That's enough to get you $2334 of the maximum $2500 AOC.  To get the credit, enter a modified 1098-T with just $3337 in box 1.

    Books and a computer would also be qualifying expenses. 

    __________________________________________________________________________________________

    Qualified Tuition Plans  (QTP 529 Plans) Distributions

    General Discussion

    It’s complicated.

    For 529 plans, there is an “owner” (usually the parent), and a “beneficiary” (usually the student dependent). The "recipient" of the distribution can be either the owner or the beneficiary depending on who the money was sent to. When the money goes directly from the Qualified Tuition Plan (QTP) to the school, the student is the "recipient". The distribution will be reported on IRS form 1099-Q. 
    The 1099-Q gets reported on the recipient's return.** The recipient's name & SS# will be on the 1099-Q.
    Even though the 1099-Q is going on the student's return, the 1098-T should go on the parent's return, so you can claim the education credit. You can do this because he is your dependent.

    You can and should claim the tuition credit before claiming the 529 plan earnings exclusion. The educational expenses he claims for the 1099-Q should be reduced by the amount of educational expenses you claim for the credit.
    But be aware, you can not double dip. You cannot count the same tuition money, for the tuition credit,  that gets him an exclusion from the taxability of the earnings (interest) on the 529 plan. Since the credit is more generous; use as much of the tuition as is needed for the credit and the rest for the interest exclusion. Another special rule allows you to claim the tuition credit even though it was "his" money that paid the tuition.
    In addition, there is another rule that says the 10% penalty is waived if he was unable to cover the 529 plan withdrawal with educational expenses either because he got scholarships or the expenses were used (by him or the parents) to claim the credits. He'll have to pay tax on the earnings, at his lower tax rate (subject to the “kiddie tax”), but not the penalty.

     

    Total qualified expenses (including room & board) less amounts paid by scholarship less amounts used to claim the Tuition credit equals the amount you can use to claim the earnings exclusion on the 1099-Q. 
    Example:
      $10,000 in educational expenses(including room & board)

       -$3000 paid by tax free scholarship***

       -$4000 used to claim the American Opportunity credit

     =$3000 Can be used against the 1099-Q (on the recipient’s return)

     

    Box 1 of the 1099-Q is $5000

    Box 2 is $2800

    3000/5000=60% of the earnings are tax free; 40% are taxable

    40% x 2800= $1120

    There is  $1120 of taxable income (on the recipient’s return)

     

    **Alternatively; you can just not report the 1099-Q, at all, if your student-beneficiary has sufficient educational expenses, including room & board (even if he lives at home) to cover the distribution. You would still have to do the math to see if there were enough expenses left over for you to claim the tuition credit. Again, you cannot double dip!  When the box 1 amount on form 1099-Q is fully covered by expenses, TurboTax will enter nothing about the 1099-Q on the actual tax forms. But, it will prepare a 1099-Q worksheet for your records, in case of an IRS inquiry.

    On form 1099-Q, instructions to the recipient reads: "Nontaxable distributions from CESAs and QTPs are not required to be reported on your income tax return. You must determine the taxability of any distribution." 

    ***Another alternative is have the student report some of his scholarship as taxable income, to free up some expenses for the 1099-Q and/or tuition credit. Most people come out better having the scholarship taxable before the 529 earnings.