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March 7, 2021
Question

Where in Turbo Tax do I enter Amount Used to Calculate Education Deduction or Credit?

  • March 7, 2021
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Where in Turbo Tax do I enter Amount Used to Calculate Education Deduction or Credit? I want to make part of our 529 withdrawal taxable so I get the American Opportunity Credit. Turbo Tax is giving me the AOC when I enter that a portion of her scholarships covered room and board, but the 1099Q worksheet is still showing the Total Qualified Educational Expense for this withdrawal is an amount equal to 100% of our withdrawal.

Don't I need to make a portion of that taxable so I don't double-dip with AOC?

2 replies

mbarjuneAuthor
March 7, 2021

New question - the 1099Q shows the basis and the earnings of the distribution. I wonder if the amount I want to count as non-qualified (to count toward American Opportunity Credit) is less than the basis (that is, the amount I contributed after-tax) then that is why I am not seeing that portion as taxable, that may be why it still shows my whole 529 withdrawal as tax-free.

Hal_Al
Employee
March 7, 2021

Q. Where in Turbo Tax do I enter Amount Used to Calculate Education Deduction or Credit?

A.  Go through the entire education interview until you reach a screen titled "Your Education Expenses Summary".  Click edit next to the student's name. That should take you to a screen “Here’s your Education Summary”. Click edit next to “Education Information”. When you get to the screen titled “Amount Used to Calculate Education Deduction or Credit”, verify the amount you want to use or change it.  You may reach that screen sooner, in the interview.

 

Q. Don't I need to make a portion of that taxable so I don't double-dip with AOC?

A. Yes, if you don't have sufficient expenses to cover both. Room & board are qualified expenses for the 529 distribution, but not the credit.  Also enter books and computers as expenses.

 

Q. I wonder if the amount I want to count as non-qualified (to count toward American Opportunity Credit) is less than the basis, then that is why I am not seeing that portion as taxable? 

A. No,  basis does not enter into the calculation (see below).

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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 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 $600

3000/5000=60% of the earnings are tax free

60%x600= $360

You have $240 of taxable income (600-360)

 

**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.

mbarjuneAuthor
March 7, 2021

Thank you.  I get to a screen that says "We'll make this entry zero that's no longer needed.  Earlier you told us to treat $x as a taxable education distribution (I entered this on line 17 of the Student Worksheet in the forms section, the amount of the 529 withdrawal that I used to pay tuition, less than $4000 ) in order to claim a larger education tax credit or deduction.  However, it's no longer beneficial for any amount to be treated as a taxable distribution and used for an education credit or deduction, so we'll just make this entry zero."

Why is this?  Why does the Student Info worksheet still show the entire 529 withdrawal amount as qualified for purpose of regular tax and qualified for purpose of 10% withdrawal?  

 

Hal_Al
Employee
March 7, 2021

$4000 is the amount to be entered on line 17 of the Student info wks, assuming you qualify for the AOTC.

 

You may want to delete and start over.

 

Provide the following info for more specific help:

  • Are you the student or parent.
  • Is the  student  the parent's dependent.
  • Box 1 of the 1098-T
  • box 5 of the 1098-T
  • Any other scholarships not shown in box 5
  • Does box 5 include any of the 529/ESA plan payments (it should not)
  • Is any of the Scholarship restricted; i.e. it must be used for tuition
  • Box 1 of the 1099-Q
  • Box 2 of the 1098-Q
  • Who’s name and SS# are on the 1099-Q, parent or student (who’s the “recipient”)?
  • Room & board paid. If student lives off campus, what is school's R&B charge
  • Other qualified expenses not included in box 1 of the 1098-T, e.g. books & computers
  • How much taxable income does the student have, from what sources