Is undergraduate tuition at a foreign (UK) university eligible for a tax credit in NY state? The university does not have an EIN number. There is no 1098T.

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 5, 2019
4 replies
0 views

No text available

TurboTax Self Employed Online

Best answer by MiriamF

Tuition at a foreign university is deductible if the school is an eligible school. Please check this link before proceeding.

If your school is eligible, you don't need a 1098-T or an EIN. When you enter the information in TurboTax, tell the program that you didn't get a 1098-T. It will ask if it qualifies for an exception; the answer is I qualify for an exception. On the page headed Where Did [you] Go to School in 2016?, check the box for foreign address, so you won't need a zip code, either. (See the screenshot below.)

You can then enter all your applicable expenses. Be sure to convert to U.S. dollars.

MiriamFAnswer

Employee

Tuition at a foreign university is deductible if the school is an eligible school. Please check this link before proceeding.

You can then enter all your applicable expenses. Be sure to convert to U.S. dollars.

HeatherB1976

For 2017, even if you indicate that it's a foreign address, it still won't allow for the credit. Typing in 99-9999999 for the EIN will fix this - as long as you have it checked as a foreign school.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"

maglib

Employee

https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/schoolSearch use this link to find a list of eligible schools and their FAFSA Federal EIN's. For the state pull down, there is the option foreign country.... Not all foreign schools will be listed, only a few will be missing who may also qualify. If they are not on the list, you need to then contact them.

NY requires the college to have a Federal EIN number. Often the programs are paid and billed by your local schools via special programs that may qualify if you use your US school.

. Yes. You can still claim the education credits if you did not receive a Form 1098-T because the school is not required to provide you a Form 1098-T if:

The student and/or the person able to claim the student as a dependent meets all other eligibility requirements to claim the credit,
The student can show he or she was enrolled at an eligible educational institution, and
You can substantiate the payment of qualified tuition and related expenses.

Be sure to keep records that show the student was enrolled and the amount of paid qualified tuition and related expenses. You may need to send copies if the IRS contacts you regarding your claim of the credit.

**I don't work for TT. Just trying to help. All the best. ***Say "Thanks" by marking as BEST ANSWER and clicking the thumb icon in a post and that I solved your question**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer" I am NOT an expert and you should confirm with a tax expert.

davet

The FAFSA Federal School Code is used for federal loan purposes only and is not a substitute for the IRS Employee Identification Number (EIN), which is a 9 digit number similar to a social security number. Unfortunately the FAFSA search tool does not provide the IRS EIN.

rjord

My situation is that my daughter attended the University of Exeter (FAFSA federal code G09442) in fall semester 2020. I used 529 funds to pay for the tuition costs. I distributed them to my personal account and then paid the university because I wasn't sure how/if I could pay the school directly from the 529 due to the USD -> GBP conversion. I can't find an EIN for UE and haven't received a 1098-T from the school, but believe I need to record this somehow on my return so that the IRS does not think I just took out the funds for personal use. I also would like to receive any education expense credit if possible. Does anyone have advice?

mglauner

@rjord If your 529 distribution did not exceed Qualified Education Expenses, you don't need to enter it in your return; just keep it for your records.

Click this link for more info on Reporting Form 1099-Q.

Since your school does have a FAFSA code, you can enter your Education Expenses without a 1098-T. Without an EIN, you won't qualify for the American Opportunity Credit, but may qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit or Tuition and Fees Deduction.

This link has instructions for Entering Tuition Without a 1098-T.

oracle

Regarding EIN's it seems that many UK universities have US EINs. The student simply needs to request the EIN from the university, and the university will send the EIN or a 1098-T. Oxford and Durham both have EINs. It appears that UCL does as well, as it is published on one of their websites (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-services/generic-information/ucl-institutional-information), although I would have the student contact UCL to verify that this is in fact a US EIN.

ToddL99

Yes, many U.K. universities have U.S. EINs - but many do not.

To get through the NY review and e-file your NY return, enter a place-holder EIN (e.g. 99-999999) in the NY state tax interview for this education credit.

alaindubois

What number should I use as I didn't received any document from the "Swiss Compensation Office" showing the revenues I received for the first time in 2020. I tried unsuccessfully 99-9999999, 00-0000000.

I also asked Swiss Compensation Office but haven't yet received any answer

Thank you