Skip to main content
Employee
April 15, 2024
Question

Paid college tuition with 529 distribution - how to answer following question on TT.

  • April 15, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 0 views

We paid for my son's summer college tuition, room and board and books using a 529 distribution owned by parents.  On the TT question, "Did you take a tax free distribution from a 529 plan for payments toward a qualified education loan?" the last part is where I'm hung up.  I did take a distribution from the 529 BUT did not obtain or pay for a loan.  We used it to pay the school directly for the above expenses.  I'm hung up on the "loan" language. Do I answer yes or no on that question?

    2 replies

    Employee
    April 15, 2024

    Answer No 

    Hal_Al
    Employee
    April 15, 2024

    Answer no to that question. Allowing 529 money to pay back loans was a recent change to the rules.  Later, in the educational expenses section, you will be asked to enter your actual expenses.  

    But

    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. 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! 

    References:

    1. 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." 
    2. IRS Pub 970 states: “Generally, distributions are tax free if they aren't more than the beneficiary's AQEE for the year. Don't report tax-free distributions (including qualifying rollovers) on your tax return”.

    ____________________________________________________________________________________________

    Qualified Tuition Plans  (QTP 529 Plans) Distributions

    General Discussion

    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 American Opportunity Credit (AOC or AOTC) is 100% of the first $2000 of tuition and 25% of the next $2000 ($2500 maximum credit). 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 regardless of whose money was used to pay 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 which is only qualified for the 1099-Q)

       -$3000 paid by tax free scholarship***

       -$4000 used to claim the American Opportunity credit

     =$3000 Can be used against the 1099-Q (on the recipient’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

    There is  $1120 of taxable income (on the recipient’s return)

     

    **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. A student, with no other income, can have up to $13,850 of taxable scholarship (in 2023) and still pay no income tax. 

    AggieJenAuthor
    Employee
    April 15, 2024

    Thank you both.  I have a lot to learn on the education piece, I can see.  🙂 

     

    His only amount on the 1098-t is $2315 on box 1.  For two summer classes, his tuition was $1599.  All in, it was $3519 toward the university (meal plan and all random fees included) and then we had to add books on top of that.  So far, it seems like only the $2315 and the cost of books is being asked for for deduction purposes.  

     

    I am not prompted to add anything in for room and board even though TT says I can deduct it if it was paid by "qualified education savings", which I assume includes 529s (right?).  I did not receive a 1099 Q.  I suppose because I won't own the 529.  

     

     

    Hal_Al
    Employee
    April 15, 2024

    To get the R&B screen, you must enter the 1099-Q first (because R&B is only qualified for a 529 distribution).  Even then,  to get the screen to enter Room & Board, answer yes when asked if you have book expenses.

     

    Q.   I did not receive a 1099 Q.  I suppose because I won't own the 529?

    A. See "recipient" in the long winded discussion above. Somebody got a 1099-Q.