Home » EDUCATION » TUITION AND FEES

Category Archives: TUITION AND FEES

IRS To Accept Returns Claiming Education Credits by Mid-February

January 29, 2013 11:27 pm / 1 Comment on IRS To Accept Returns Claiming Education Credits by Mid-February

WASHINGTON – As preparations continue for the Jan. 30 opening of the 2013 filing season for most taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that processing of tax returns claiming education credits will begin by the middle of February.

Taxpayers using Form 8863, Education Credits, can begin filing their tax returns after the IRS updates its processing systems. Form 8863 is used to claim two higher education credits — the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.

The IRS emphasized that the delayed start will have no impact on taxpayers claiming other education-related tax benefits, such as the tuition and fees deduction and the student loan interest deduction. People otherwise able to file and claiming these benefits can start filing Jan. 30.
As it does every year, the IRS reviews and tests its systems in advance of the opening of the tax season to protect taxpayers from processing errors and refund delays. The IRS discovered during testing that programming modifications are needed to accurately process Forms 8863. Filers who are otherwise able to file but use the Form 8863 will be able to file by mid-February. No action needs to be taken by the taxpayer or their tax professional. Typically through the mid-February period, about 3 million tax returns include Form 8863, less than a quarter of those filed during the year.

The IRS remains on track to open the tax season on Jan. 30 for most taxpayers. The Jan. 30 opening includes people claiming the student loan interest deduction on the Form 1040 series or the higher education tuition or fees on Form 8917, Tuition and Fees Deduction. Forms that will be able to be filed later are listed on IRS.gov.

Info Regarding Qualified Tuition Plans "529 plans"

March 31, 2009 3:42 am / Leave a comment

Qualified tuition programs (QTPs) are also called “529 plans.”
States may establish and maintain programs that allow you to either prepay or contribute to an account for paying a student’s qualified education expenses at a postsecondary institution (defined below). Eligible educational institutions may establish and maintain programs that allow you to prepay a student’s qualified education expenses. If you prepay tuition, the student (designated beneficiary) will be entitled to a waiver or a payment of qualified education expenses. You cannot deduct either payments or contributions to a QTP. For information on a specific QTP, you will need to contact the state agency or eligible educational institution that established and maintains it.
What is the tax benefit of a QTP. No tax is due on a distribution from a QTP unless the amount distributed is greater than the beneficiary’s adjusted qualified education expenses. See Are Distributions Taxable, beginning on this page, for more information.
Even if a QTP is used to finance a student’s education, the student or the student’s parents still may be eligible to claim either the Hope credit or the lifetime learning credit.

What Is a Qualified Tuition Program
A qualified tuition program is a program set up to allow you to either prepay, or contribute to an account established for paying, a student’s qualified education expenses at an eligible educational institution. QTPs can be established and maintained by states (or agencies or instrumentalities of a state) and eligible educational institutions. The program must meet certain requirements. Your state government or the eligible educational institution in which you are interested can tell you whether or not they participate in a QTP.

Qualified education expenses. These expenses are the amounts paid for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational institution (defined in the next column).
They also include the reasonable costs of room and board for a designated beneficiary who is at least a half-time student. The cost of room and board qualifies only to the extent that it is not more than the greater of the following two amounts.
The allowance for room and board, as determined by the eligible educational institution, that was included in the cost of attendance (for federal financial aid purposes) for a particular academic period and living arrangement of the student.
The actual amount charged if the student is residing in housing owned or operated by the eligible educational institution.You will need to contact the eligible educational institution for qualified room and board costs.
The definition of qualified education expenses was expanded in 2002 to include expenses of a special needs beneficiary that are necessary for that person’s enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational institution.

See IRS web site for more information http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch08.html

Recent Update Regarding Plans
Notice 2009-01 modifies Notice 2001-55, 2001-2 CB 299, and provides that a section 529 program (qualified tuition program) does not violate the investment restriction under section 529(b)(4) if it permits a participant to change investment strategy selected for a section 529 account twice during calendar year 2009. A change in investment strategy upon a change in the designated beneficiary of the account continues to be permitted as under Notice 2001-55. Notice 2009-01 will appear in IRB 2009-2, dated Jan. 12, 2009.

Top Ten Facts About the Tuition and Fees Deduction

March 17, 2009 9:34 pm / Leave a comment

The Tuition and Fees deduction of up to $4,000 is available to help parents and students pay for post-secondary education. Below are ten important facts about this deduction every student and parent should know.
You do not have to itemize to take the Tuition and Fees deduction. You claim a tuition and fees deduction by completing Form 8917 and submitting it with your Form 1040 or Form 1040A.
You may be able to claim qualified tuition and fees expenses as either an adjustment to income, a Hope or Lifetime Learning credit, or – if applicable – as a business expense.
You cannot take the tuition and fees deduction on your income tax return if your filing status is married filing separately.
You cannot take the deduction if you are claimed, or can be claimed, as a dependent on someone else’s return.
The deduction is reduced or eliminated if your modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain limits, based on your filing status.
You cannot claim the tuition and fees deduction if you or anyone else claims the Hope or Lifetime Learning credit for the same student in the same year.
If the educational expenses are also allowable as a business expense, the tuition and fees deduction may be claimed in conjunction with a business expense deduction, but the same expenses cannot be deducted twice.
You cannot claim a deduction or credit based on expenses paid with tax-free scholarship, fellowship, grant, or education savings account funds such as a Coverdell education savings account, tax-free savings bond interest or employer-provided education assistance.
The same rule applies to expenses you pay with a tax-exempt distribution from a qualified tuition plan, except that you can deduct qualified expenses you pay only with that part of the distribution that is a return of your contribution to the plan.
IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, can help eligible parents and students understand the special rules that apply and decide which tax break to claim. The publication is available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Links:
Form 8863, Education Credits (PDF 82K)
Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education (PDF 368K)
Tax Topic 605
%d bloggers like this: