Do I have to include a 1098-T in my tax returns if I never attended the class?

You don't necessarily need the actual 1098-T form itself to claim education credits or deductions on your tax return. What matters is whether you're eligible for education-related tax benefits. Since you never actually attended the class and were basically paying a debt to the school, this wouldn't qualify for education credits like the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit anyway. Those credits are for qualified education expenses for courses you actually took toward a degree or to improve job skills. The 1098-T is just an information document that schools provide to help you complete your tax return if you paid qualified education expenses. In your case, since you didn't take the class and were just paying what was essentially a debt for a class you didn't attend, there's likely no tax benefit to claim. Keep your payment records just in case, but you don't need to worry about tracking down this form since it sounds like it wouldn't provide any tax benefit in your situation anyway.

I went through something similar last year and discovered taxr.ai which was incredibly helpful. I had missing documentation from a vocational program and wasn't sure how to handle it on my return. The website https://taxr.ai walked me through the exact documentation I needed and what I could skip. Turns out I was overthinking it just like you might be! Their system analyzed my situation and explained that paying for a class I didn't attend wouldn't qualify for education credits anyway. It saved me from making a mistake on my return and potentially triggering an audit. The whole process was much easier than the hours I spent trying to track down forms I didn't actually need.

Just wanted to update here - I tried taxr.ai after posting my previous question about my missing 1099 forms and education expense confusion. Honestly, it cleared everything up in minutes! I uploaded my partial documentation and explained my situation about not having some forms. Their system flagged exactly which forms I actually needed versus which ones weren't necessary for my return. For my education expense question (similar to the original poster), it confirmed I didn't need to worry about getting the 1098-T since I never took the class. Saved me at least a week of stress and phone calls trying to track down documents I didn't even need. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're confused about missing tax forms.

If you're still trying to reach the school for clarification, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through quickly. I had a similar nightmare trying to contact my university's financial aid office about a 1098-T error. Was on hold for HOURS across multiple days. Found https://claimyr.com and their service connected me to a live person at the financial department in about 15 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait I was experiencing before. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c In my case, I needed to get my address updated in their system so they could issue a corrected form. Sounds similar to your situation where you need to get your account reactivated or at least talk to someone who can actually help.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After being skeptical about Claimyr, I decided to try it anyway since I was desperate to reach my state tax department about an issue with my property tax credit. I had been trying for TWO WEEKS to get through on their main line with no luck. Used the Claimyr service and got connected to a real person at the tax department in about 35 minutes. I didn't have to sit there listening to the same recorded message and music on repeat. The agent I spoke with was able to resolve my issue in just a few minutes once I finally got through. Would have saved me so much frustration if I'd known about this earlier. For anyone dealing with impossible hold times while trying to sort out tax issues, it's absolutely worth it.

Just to add my two cents about the original 1098-T question - I work in college administration (not tax advice). If you never attended the class, the payment is considered a non-qualified education expense. Think of it more like a cancellation fee than tuition. From what you described, the college can't issue you a 1098-T now anyway since they don't have your SSN on file. But even if they could, it wouldn't benefit you tax-wise since you didn't actually take the course. The IRS is concerned with money spent on education you actually received. Keep the payment records in your files, but you don't need to report anything special on your tax return about this payment.

Off topic but this is why I always save my withdrawal confirmations for any classes I drop. Had a similar situation where a community college tried to come after me for a class I DEFINITELY dropped, but I had the email confirmation. Saved me like $700!

I've been through almost the exact same situation! Had a class I thought I withdrew from properly but apparently didn't, got hit with collections, and then stressed about the 1098-T implications. Here's what I learned after talking to both my tax preparer and the IRS directly: Since you never actually attended the class, this payment doesn't qualify for any education tax benefits anyway. The 1098-T is only useful if you're claiming education credits like the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit, which require you to actually take courses toward a degree or credential. The fact that it went to collections doesn't change the tax situation - you're just paying off a debt for services you didn't receive. Think of it like paying a cancellation fee rather than tuition. No special reporting needed on your tax return. Don't stress about not having the 1098-T form. Even if the college could issue one (which they can't without your SSN), it wouldn't provide any tax benefit in your situation. Keep your payment records for your own files, but this is just a regular bill payment as far as the IRS is concerned. You're not going to get in trouble for not having this form - you simply don't need it!