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Education Benefits American Opportunities Credit
Lifetime Learning Credit Tuition and Fees Adjustment NTTC Training 2013
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Education Benefits Pub 4491 Pub 4012 Tab J
Adjustment Page 183 Credits Page 235 Pub 4012 Tab J Form 1040 Lines 34, 49, Sch A or Sch C NTTC Training 2013
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Educational Benefits Tuition and Fees Adjustment Education Credits
Reduction of AGI Education Credits Direct Reduction of Tax Liability Maximum one benefit per student May take adjustment for one student and credit for another Tuition adjustment will be discussed later NTTC Training 2013
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Education Credits Two Credits General Requirements
American Opportunities Lifetime learning General Requirements Credit applies to taxpayer, spouse, or dependent Cannot be claimed as dependent on another return NTTC Training 2013
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Interview Form Point of Awareness NTTC Training 2013
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Review Tuition Statement
Form 1098-T Provided by college/institution Shows amount paid and/or amount billed, scholarships and student status Verify paid amounts with taxpayer If adjustments in box 4 or box 6, credit is out of scope NTTC Training 2013
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Review Tuition Statement
Form 1098-T Costs paid by 3rd party, treated as paid by student If student is dependent, expenses considered paid by taxpayer for credits only 3rd party may be relative such as grandparent For tuition and fees adjustment, if grandparent pays it is deemed paid by the student (parent taxpayers cannot claim) NTTC Training 2013
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Status Indicators: Boxes 8 and 9
Form 1098-T Subtract Amount in Box 5* *Adjust if any portion taxable Total Paid: 1 or 2 Out of Scope But see Managing Scholarships and Education Benefits tool later for ways to reduce net tax liability Status Indicators: Boxes 8 and 9 NTTC Training 2013
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Education Benefits Cannot file “Married Filing Separate”
Must be enrolled at or attending eligible post-secondary school AGI below limitations for filing status – See Pub 4012 for details (p J-2 et seq.) Taxpayers not nonresident alien See Pub 17, Chapter 34 for Eligible Institutions NTTC Training 2013
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Eligible Schools College or university
Technical, trade or vocational school Does not include On the job training Correspondence school School offering online courses only Generally any accredited public, nonprofit, or private post-secondary institution Must be eligible to participate in the student aid programs administered by the Department of Education It includes virtually all accredited public, nonprofit, and privately owned profit-making post-secondary institutions Contact the school or the U.S. Department of Education website if unsure Colleges or universities located in foreign countries may qualify It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to confirm whether eligible NTTC Training 2013
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Qualified Expenses Expenses paid in 2013 for academic period beginning 2013 or first 3 months of 2014 Tuition and certain related expenses required for enrollment or attendance Student activity fees paid to institution as condition of enrollment or attendance NTTC Training 2013
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Qualified Expenses (cont)
Course-related books, supplies and equipment (a computer counts if required by institution) AOC – can be purchased anywhere LLC and Tuition and Fees – must be purchased from school as a condition of enrollment NTTC Training 2013
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Offset to Qualified Expenses
Qualified tuition expenses must be reduced by amount paid with: Non taxable Scholarships Non taxable Pell grants Employer-provided educational assistance Veteran’s educational assistance Any other nontaxable payments (other than gifts, bequests, or inheritances) Ask – there may be “own funds” that were used (see managing scholarships later) Own funds include student loan or other debt proceeds NTTC Training 2013
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Non-Qualifying Expenses
Insurance Medical expenses (including student health fees) Room and board Transportation or similar personal, living or family expenses NTTC Training 2013
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American Opportunities Credit
Credit worth up to $2,500 per student Generally 40% Refundable Maximum qualified expenses – $4,000 First four tax years of post-secondary study Student enrolled in degree or certificate program NTTC Training 2013
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American Opportunities Credit
Minimum of ½ normal full-time workload as set by school No felony drug conviction Includes tuition and course material Course Material must be required but can be purchased anywhere. ½ normal full-time defined by institution – See 1098-T later. NTTC Training 2013
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Lifetime Learning Credit
No limit on number of years Not a refundable credit No minimum amount of course workload Not required to pursue a degree NTTC Training 2013
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Lifetime Learning Credit
Course material not included unless paid to institution as condition of enrollment Maximum of $2,000 per RETURN Based on maximum qualified expenses of $10,000 Felony drug conviction not disqualifier NTTC Training 2013
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Multiple Credits Can claim American Opportunity and Lifetime Credits but NOT for same student Example: Taxpayer’s dependent is full-time college undergraduate – American Opportunity Taxpayer takes one course at local college – Lifetime Learning NTTC Training 2013
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Managing Scholarships
If scholarship conditions allow: Funds can be used for non-qualified expenses such as room and board Use other available funds for qualified expenses Then scholarship taxable to student Larger education credit likely to offset added tax NTTC Training 2013
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Education Tool on ShareNet
Instructors are encouraged to download this worksheet Available in PDF and Excel formats NTTC Training 2013
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Claiming the Credits – Age Under 24
None of credit is refundable if Taxpayer claiming credit is under age 18 -OR- age 18 at end of year, and their earned income was less than one-half of their own support -OR- a full time student over 18 and under 24 and their earned income was less than one-half of their own support AND ... These are the same criteria as for the kiddie tax NTTC Training 2013
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Claiming the Credits – Age Under 24
Taxpayer has at least one living parent, AND Taxpayer does not file a joint return But can still claim nonrefundable credits! NTTC Training 2013
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Taxable Scholarship Income
If grants/scholarships exceed education expenses, must report excess as income – Pub 4012 J-1 Note – many institutions “deposit” scholarship funds into student’s account which can be used for education expenses only; those funds were used to pay for education expenses NTTC Training 2013
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Taxable Scholarship Taxable Scholarship Income
Taxable income for student Report on 1040 Ln 7 Taxable amount entered on worksheet 1 – carries to Ln 7 Emphasize that taxable income is for student, not for taxpayer if student is a dependent of taxpayer. NTTC Training 2013
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TaxWise Worksheet 1 Student’s Tax Return
Enter Taxable Scholarship Income Student’s Tax Return NTTC Training 2013
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Form 1040, Page 1 Scholarship Income Shows Here NTTC Training 2013
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Claim the Credit – Form 8863 Complete Part III FIRST for each student
Part III Ln 20 – 26: Student and Educational Information Part III Ln 27 – 30: American Opportunity Credit Part III Ln 31: Lifetime Learning Must answer all questions NTTC Training 2013
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Claiming The Credit TaxWise will complete:
Part I – American Opportunity Credit Part II – Lifetime Learning But you need to check the under 24 box (below line 7) if the criteria are met Emphasize need to start on page 2 of Form 8863 in Taxwise NTTC Training 2013
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TaxWise Form 8863, Pg 2 NTTC Training 2013
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TaxWise Form 8863, Pg 2 NTTC Training 2013
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Claim the Credit TaxWise carries
Part I – Nonrefundable Education Credits to 1040 Line 49 Part II- Refundable Education Credits to Line 66 NTTC Training 2013
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Form 8863, Pg 1 If the under 24 rule applies, check the box
If the taxpayer-student is one described below (the same as one to whom the Kiddie tax would apply) They can claim the nonrefundable portion of the AOC They cannot the refundable portion of the AOC You do not qualify for a refundable American opportunity credit if 1 (a, b, or c), 2, and 3 below apply to you 1. You were: a. Under age 18 at the end of 2012, or b. Age 18 at the end of 2012 and your earned income (defined later) was less than one-half of your support (defined later), or c. Over age 18 and under age 24 at the end of 2012 and a full-time student (defined later) and your earned income (defined later) was less than one-half of your support (defined later) 2. At least one of your parents was alive at the end of 2012 3. You are not filing a joint return for 2012 NTTC Training 2013
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TaxWise Form 8863, Pg 1 NTTC Training 2013
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Adjustment or Credit Evaluate benefit of adjustment versus credit
Occasions when adjustment is better than credit Lower income which may impact EIC Other benefits dependent on AGI Improved state benefit may override reduction on federal return If education relates to a Sch C business, more benefit may result by claiming on Sch C instead of Line 34 Adjustment NTTC Training 2013
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Comparison Complete federal return – apply credit
Complete state return Record refund/balance due for both returns On Form 8863, change lines 27 and/or 31 to zero NTTC Training 2013
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Comparison (cont) Link to 1040 Wkt2 from 1040, line 34
Enter qualified expenses for each qualified student (bottom of worksheet) Make any necessary changes to state return Record Refund/Balance Due and compare to credit Select best option NTTC Training 2013
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Taxwise Worksheet 2 NTTC Training 2013
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Other Alternatives If education or training does not qualify for either credit or adjustment… e.g. computer class at local library or high school to improve business skills Sch C deduction if relates to self- employed business Sch A miscellaneous deduction if relates to employment NTTC Training 2013
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Recovery of Prior Year’s Expenses
Expenses were claimed for either credit May need to recapture part of all of credits received – out of scope Expenses were claimed as adjustment or deduction May need to include recovery in income if tax benefit was received in prior year NTTC Training 2013
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Education Quiz #1 Jim and May Brown, $48,000 AGI, two children
Rose, sophomore, in college full-time John, 4th year full-time college senior Both children claimed as dependents NTTC Training 2013
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Education Quiz #1 Browns made tuition payments of $6,000 in August for 2013 classes and $6,000 in December for 2014 For which education credits do they qualify? American Opportunity Credit for both children NTTC Training 2013
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Education Quiz #1 – Part 2 Can the Browns include the payments they made in December for 2014? Yes NTTC Training 2013
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Education Quiz #2 If Rose had paid for her own tuition, how would the answer differ? NOT AT ALL, unless Rose not claimed as a dependent NTTC Training 2013
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Education Quiz #3 If Jim and May had not claimed Rose as a dependent (even though entitled to the exemption), who is entitled to the credit? ROSE is entitled to the nonrefundable credit, but not any refundable credit NTTC Training 2013
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Education Benefits Questions? Comments? NTTC Training 2013
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Let’s Practice In TaxWise
Open the return for Kent in TaxWise From Pub 4491W page 69, enter education credit for Kent/Bryant Verify tax liability NTTC Training 2013
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