2009 IRS Form 8917 Instructions
- 1). Determine whether the student meets the basic eligibility requirements. To claim the deduction for education expenses, the expenses must have been paid in the year for which you are filing an income tax return. The student cannot claim the credit if he is married and filing separately. The student cannot take the credit if someone can claim her as an exemption on their tax return or if her adjusted gross income is more than $80,000.
- 2). Confirm the eligibility of the educational institution. The IRS defines an eligible educational institution as any college, university or vocational school that is eligible for student aid programs administered by the Department of Education.
- 3). Calculate the student's qualified education expenses. These are tuition and fees paid to attend a qualified educational institution.
- 4). Subtract tax-free educational assistance and refunds of tuition and fees from qualified educational expenses. This figure is the net amount of qualified educational expenses that is used to determine the amount of the credit.
- 5). Download and complete IRS form 8917. Follow the instructions on the form to calculate the credit and transfer the numbers to IRS form 1040 or 1040A.
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