My 529 distribution is lower than my Qualified Higher Education Expenses yet TurboTax is adding $1602 of earnings from the distribution as taxable income. Why?
My 529 distribution is lower than my Qualified Higher Education Expenses yet TurboTax is adding $1602 of earnings from the distribution as taxable income. Why?
Tuition paid with 529 distributions is not eligible for any of the education credits, even if you would otherwise be eligible. TurboTax maximizes the credit, which may cause a portion of the 529 distribution to be taxable. It is possible to elect to apply the 529 distribution to your tuition, but this may lower the education credit and yield a worse tax result overall. If you have entered both your 1098-T and 1099-Q, follow these steps:
Go to Federal > Deductions & Credits > Education > Expenses and Scholarships (Form 1098-T)
Click Edit on the Student and Edit on Other Education Expenses. If you did have other education expenses, you can use the 529 distribution to offset these. Enter any you have in 2021 in the appropriate category.
Answer Yes to Did you take a tax free distribution from a 529 plan?
Click Edit next to Education Information. Go through all the questions. Now at the end, you should see Choosing a larger education credit. TurboTax will tell you how much you can use for the education credit. Whatever amount of tuition you do not use for the education credit will be applied to the 529 distribution and you will pay fewer taxes on that.
One possibility is that TurboTax allocated part of your dependent's college expenses to claim the Tuition credit, even if you are not eligible or otherwise did not claim it.
You can (and should) 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."
One possibility is that TurboTax allocated part of your dependent's college expenses to claim the Tuition credit, even if you are not eligible or otherwise did not claim it. If you are eligible, that is usually the best option. Read on for details.
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 theQualified 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 (usually on the student’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
You have $1120 of taxable income
**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.