My MN graduate tuition and expenses are not showing on form 8917 and Turbo Tax is telling me I need to paper file.I was a full time student for 5 or more months in 2020.

Try rechecking your input to verify the results.

• Depending on the sequencing of entries, you may inadvertently get unexpected results if you entered Form 1098-T before entering Form 1099-Q for Section 529 distributions or Form 1098-E to report student loan interest paid.
  • If this is the case, delete all education related forms, close and re-open the program using a Chrome web browser before re-entering. To delete forms, from the left menu, select Tax Tools, then Tools, then Delete a Form and follow the prompts.
• You may not qualify if you reported that you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. Check for Form 8863.
  • Since you are a graduate student, the American Opportunity Tax Credit is probably already used, but the Lifetime Learning Credit could still be available if you qualify and would use Form 8863.
    • In general, credits are more useful than deductions. The deductions reduce the amount of income taxed whereas the credits reduce the amount of tax actually charged dollar for dollar.

TurboTax will optimize your education tax breaks to what is best for your circumstances.

For more details, see: The Lowdown on Education Tax Breaks - TurboTax Tax Tips & Videos

What are examples of education expenses?