Tax Year Prior to 2020: I'm currently attending a university in London and they did not enter a Federal ID number on the form needed to obtain my student tax credit. How could I get this info?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 1, 2019
5 replies
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I'm filing the 1099- T form and it will not allow me to complete my return without this info. Also, I do not see the school in the list of accredited schools. However, I do not see any international school, so maybe I'm looking at the wrong list.

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PopeyeTheSalior

Employee

Do you mean by form 1098T instead of 1099 ? What is the name of your school ?

allan-simmonsAuthor

Yes sorry, I meant the 1098T Form. The school I attend is the University of Essex.

PopeyeTheSalior

Employee

According to the U.S Department of Education, University of Essex is an eligible accredited educational institution which allows you to claim education credit if you meet the requirements.

https://ifap.ed.gov/ifap/fedSchoolCodeList.jsp (click on the link under Federal School Code List and find the school name)

In order to e file, you do need to have the federal ID information. I would suggest you to contact the school. However, without that information, you will still be able to use the program to complete your return, print it out and submit to IRS by mail. (No federal ID, no e -file)

sirashmont

Maybe in previous years it was different, but the 2017 instructions for Form 8863, Education Credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credits), specifically says we "must provide the educational institution's employer identification number (EIN)" on our Form 8863 to claim the tax credit.

This is impossible if your student attends an eligible college outside the US which does not have an EIN. Some foreign colleges have an EIN, but most do not. Unfortunately my daughter's school in Canada is one of those that do not, so it appears that I'm stuck using an education deduction instead of the more favorable education tax credit.

DLWoodrum

You can find some EIN numbers for foreign universities using the Tax Exempt Organization Search function on the IRS website: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/

I had been looking unsuccessuffly all over the web for Kingston University in Kingston upon Thames until I finally found this website.

linaj20201

Please use this site to verify if your foreign school is an eligible institution.

Eligible schools

Put in your school name and select "Foreign country". Note that in order to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit, you have to have the FEIN on the Form 1098-T. It is a requirement by the IRS.

See the image below

@allan-simmons @DLWoodrum

tbrennan00671

URGENT

Hello I need some help with this as well. I have received a 1099-Q and my school in the UK with G09860 as its identification number. It is the University of Surrey and is included in the qualified education programs. This being said I am trying to fill out a 1098-T and have not received one. I read here to apply for an extension but I cannot find the "Filer's federal ID no.". I have looked everywhere and reached out to my University but have gotten no response. I'm very stressed out and will not be able to file my taxes without the Federal ID number. Any help on what to do will be every much appreciated.

thanks

AmyC

Employee

@tbrennan00671 Please see AOTC and Eligible Institutions. Verify your institution and reach out to them again.

The worst case scenario would be to mail in your return. In order to complete the return, you would have to make up a number for the federal id, perhaps your social. Then white it out before you mail in the forms and add an explanation stating you qualify, why you think so, and that no fed id was available. Good luck!

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tbrennan00671

Hello I have done what you have said and will have to mail my taxes in. This being said I cannot find where the "made up number" is on the printed tax return in order to white it out. Please help, thank you!