Can both divorced parents claim their payed portion of their son's college tuition and fees on 1098-T on their separate taxes, one payed fall other payed spring semester?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 6, 2019
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For 2016. My ex-wife payed my son's (21 years old) total college expense for the fall semester. I payed my son's total college expenses for the spring semester (due in December of 2016 for 2017). We will do this again for 2017 fall semester and 2018 spring semester. Can we both claim a deduction on our 2016 taxes of our portion of our son's college expenses?

Best answer by xmasbaby0

No. In order to use the tuition on your tax return, you have to claim the child as your dependent, If you are divorced then only one of you can make that claim. Work something out between the two of you such as alternating the years you claim your child while he/she can be a tax dependent,

xmasbaby0Answer

Employee

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

macuser_22

Employee

Note that the child is 21, well beyond the age of custody and the ability to release the dependent to the non-custodial parent. Only the parent that the child physically lived with for more than half the year (or would have lived with except for a temporary absence to attend school) can claim the dependent per the dependent rules for a Qualifying Child. You cannot alternate years for an adult child over age 18 - the age of emancipation in most states.

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**