<p>I paid for my son's 2012 Spring tuition in 2011. In total I paid $6600 for tuition and expenses in 2011 but I was able to include the maximum of $4000 for the American Opportunity credit for 2011. Can I include $2200 paid in 2011 which would have been for the 2012 Spring semester for the American Opportunity Credit qualified expenses for 2012? My son graduated in 2012.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your replies/advice.</p>
<p>I don’t believe so…</p>
<p>No. You can only claim it for the year in which it was paid.</p>
<p>Were there other things pending on the Bursars Bill at the time you made that payment? For example, if there were housing and meals pending that were not paid until early in 2012, you may be able to treat the late 2011 payment as covering the housing, and what was paid in 2012 as covering tuition and fees. Books and materials specifically required in the course syllabus also are qualified expenses, so check your records for those as well.</p>
<p>Thank you for your responses. After digging and calling the school, I found that I actually paid for the Spring 2012 tuition in January 2012. When I called the school, they said like most school, they report the billed date on Form 1198-T and not the date the tuition was actually paid. I did some research and it looks like I am supposed to claim the American Opportunity credit in the year the payment was actually made. I would not have to amend my 2011 return as I was able to claim only $4000 of the $6600 I thought I paid in 2011 (the amount on the 2011 1098-T from the school). So if I minus the $2200 I paid in January 2012 from the $6600, the amount I would be able to claim in 2011 would still be $4000. </p>
<p>Am I correct in the assumption that I must claim the payment made in 2012 in the tax year 2012? The school will not issue a 1098-T for 2012 as they said no tuition was billed in 2012. Will the IRS have an issue if they did not receive a 1098-T for 2012 for my son and I am claiming tuition (and course materials) for 2012? </p>
<p>Thanks again in advance for your help. This tax stuff is so much fun!</p>
<p>Yes, you need to claim for what you paid in the specific tax year. All qualified expenses from 01/01/2012 through 12/31/2012 can be used when you file your 2012 income tax return.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about what the IRS gets from the college. They know full well that the January 2012 bill could be included in the 2011 1098T. As long as YOU only use figures for what YOU paid for the qualified expenses in each tax year, it will be OK.</p>
<p>Did you also claim the credit in prior years? You can only use it for 4 years total. My D graduated in 2012 also, but we used the credit in 2008-2011 years. It was called the Hope credit before.</p>
<p>I used the American Opportunity Credit in 2009 and 2011. I used the Form 8917 Tuition and Fees Deduction for 2008 and 2010. So I should be able to use the American Opportunity Credit for 2012 since I only used it for 2 other years as I did not see anything about limit on combination of American Opportunity Credit and Tuition and Fees Deduction?</p>