<p>I'm trying to figure out how much I can withdraw from my DD's 529 tax-free. I am taking the total amount of qualified expenses paid in 2014 and subtracting out the tax-free grant money and then subtracting $4000 used to figure the AOTC. However, some of the grant money and her loans for Spring 2015 are credited to her account in January. What I was planning to do is remove the expenses that that grant money and loans are paying for from the total amount of expenses of 2014. Then I will use those expenses in the 2015 calculations. Does that sound OK? I sure wish I could find IRS guidelines on this.</p>
<p>
See <a href=“http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch08.html”>http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch08.html</a> the section
</p>
<p>Thank you. I have read that section, but didn’t see anything about grants being disbursed in the next tax year.</p>
<p>If you actually pay, from your pocket, $4000 in 2014, you can use that as the AOTC amount, and I believe that it is okay to pay for some QEE that is for 2015 in 2014. I’m planning to do that, pay the tuition for my daughter’s spring semester in 2014.</p>
<p>Since you can’t use the 529 money for the QEE, just figure out how much is owed after grants, $4000 cash paid by you in 2014. Why does it matter what grants are applied in Jan? You aren’t using that amount anyway.</p>
<p>How much have you paid OOP in 2014 so far (not with 529 money)? Is that $4000? If not, pay the difference toward tuition by 12/31 and then if she has excess grant/scholarship money, that will be applied to her R&B in 2015 and she might have to pay taxes on that in 2016.</p>
<p>First of all, you can only use expenses actually paid in 2014 for the credit in tax year 2014. Then read page 13 of Pub 970 about refunds and when they are received. If you pay expenses in December 2014 and the grants are applied in January 2015, that amount is considered a refund. And it sounds like you will be aware of the refund before you would file 2014 taxes, so you would follow that part of the refund section: Refunds received after 2014 but before you file your return. So it sounds like the plan you stated for the grants is correct.</p>
<p>But don’t subtract loans from QEE. QEE paid by loans are considered paid by you or the student. They aren’t free money. However, if the loans are credited in 2015 then they are paying for expenses in 2015. not 2014. Though, re-reading your post, it doesn’t sound like you’re subtracting the loans from 2014 expenses like the grants. You just plan not to include the QEE paid for with loans credited in 2015 for 2014 taxes. That’s correct.</p>
<p>And remember, for at least a 1/2 time student, R&B is QEE for 529 distributions, in addition to the AOTC QEE items of tuition, mandatory fees and required books and supplies.</p>
<p>Sorry, in post #3, I meant you can’t use money from the 529 to take the AOTC (I said QEE). Sorry.</p>