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June 5, 2020
Question

How to report 1099-Q in Turbo Tax for education expenses

  • June 5, 2020
  • 1 reply
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This is the first time I'm doing taxes with educational expenses for my daughter, and I'm a bit confused. We have a 529 plan where tuition and room and board were paid directly to the school, so I'm pretty sure I don't even report that. But, we took some 529 money directly paid to us to cover the deposit (part of tuition) and books. We paid for a computer, but not out of the 529. In TurboTax, the 1099-Q form information is requested both under "personal income - misc income - 1099-Q" and under "Deductions & Credits - Education - 1099-Q". I think that I shouldn't be putting the information in the personal income section, but I'm confused.

    1 reply

    Hal_Al
    Employee
    June 5, 2020

    Do not enter the 1099-Q at "personal income - misc income - 1099-Q".  Enter it only at   "Deductions & Credits - Education - 1099-Q".  The 2nd 1099-Q, in your name (we took some 529 money directly paid to us) does not go on your daughter's return.  It goes on yours. 

     

    Or better yet, don't enter it at all since it was totally used for qualified expenses (Tuition and books). You may also count the computer toward the 1099-Q, even though the 529 money was not used directly to pay for it.

     

    You are correct, the 1099-Q in your daughter's name ( tuition and room and board were paid directly to the school) does not have to be reported.  But you may be missing out on a tuition credit. Read on for more detail. 

    ______________________________________________________________________

    Qualified Tuition Plans  (QTP 529 Plans)

    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 (on your return)

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

     

    Box 1 of the 1099-Q is $5000

    Box 2 is $600

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

    60%x600= $360

    You have $240 of taxable income (600-360)

     

    **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.

     ***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.

    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." 

    KobelleAuthor
    June 7, 2020

    Thank-you so much for your response! I have deleted the 1099-Q information from the personal income section. However, after reading the full information of your response, I am now confused in other ways.

     

    The 1099-Q form is in our name - this is money we used to pay for the books and the initial deposti. There is a 1098-T in my daughter's name. This is the one that has the full payment to the college (over $15,000) plus a scholarship ($4000). That was all paid with 529 money. My daughter did not work & doesn't have a W2, so I wasn't planning for her to submit taxes.

     

    Are you saying that I should put in the 1098-T information in our taxes, even though it is in her name and even though it was paid with 529 money?  This is what I am gathering from your more detailed information. And, that I should not bother with the deduction for the computer because the 1098-T would be a better deduction.

     

    Did I get it right? I'm not sure because it makes no sense that I should get a deduction with expenses that I paid with tax-free money. I don't want to lose the tax free benefit from the 529.

     

    I also understand that taxes and government regulations often make no sense.

     

    Thanks in advance!!

    Hal_Al
    Employee
    June 7, 2020

     

    You got a  1099-Q form in your name for the money you used to pay for the books and the  deposit.  Your daughter should have gotten a 2nd 1099-Q, in her name, for the money that went directly to the school.  This is in addition to the 1098-T. The 1098-T comes from the school and does not replace or substitute for a 1099-Q from the 529 plan.  They are two separate documents

     

     

    Q. Are you saying that I should put in the 1098-T information in our taxes, even though it is in her name and even though it was paid with 529 money? 

    A. Yes.  You should use $4000 of the tuition to claim the American Opportunity Credit (AOC).  It is worth $2500 to you, unless your income is too high or too low. 

    Q.  I should not bother with the deduction for the computer because the 1098-T would be a better deduction.

    A.  Yes, but not exactly.    You get to count $4000 of the tuition toward the AOC   But you get to count the computer cost for the 1099-Q (and room & board), even though you didn't directly pay for it with 529 money.  It's not a "deduction", per se.  It's a qualified expense for calculating the excludability of the 529 plan earnings.

     

    Provide the following info for more specific help.  I'll tell you how to enter everything.  I suspect  your daughter will still not have to file a tax return.

    • Box 1 of the 1098-T
    • box 5 of the 1098-T
    • Does box 5 include any of the 529 plan payments (it should not)?
    • Box 1 of each 1099-Q
    • Box 2 of each  1098-Q
    • Room & board paid. If she lives off campus (even at home), what is the school's R&B charge for on campus students
    • Other qualified expenses not included in box 1 of the 1098-T, e.g. books & computers, tuition deposit (the deposit may  already be included in box 1).