FreeTaxUSA - Where do I find where to file my 1098-T tuition form? Can't locate it anywhere
I've been trying to file my taxes using FreeTaxUSA and I'm completely stuck trying to figure out where to input my 1098-T tuition form information. I've been clicking around the site for at least an hour and can't find it anywhere! I don't see any section labeled "tuition" or anything related to education expenses. Is there some hidden menu I'm missing? My university sent me the 1098-T for the tuition I paid last year which was only about $95, so it's not a huge amount but I still want to make sure I'm doing everything right. Does anyone know where in FreeTaxUSA I'm supposed to enter this info? Or is it possible I don't even need to include it since the amount is relatively small? Getting really frustrated with this!
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Sergio Neal
The education credits section is where you'll enter your 1098-T information in FreeTaxUSA. It can be a bit tricky to find if you're not looking in the right place! When you're in the deductions section, look for "Education Credits" or "Education Expenses." You might need to expand the "Credits" menu first. Once you find it, you'll be able to enter all the information from your 1098-T including the school name, EIN, amounts paid for tuition, and any scholarships received. Even though your tuition amount is relatively small ($95), it's still worth entering. Depending on your situation, you might qualify for education credits like the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit, which could reduce your tax liability or even result in a refund.
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Savanna Franklin
•Thanks for this info, but I'm still having trouble finding it. I've clicked through the Credits section and still don't see anything about education specifically. Do I need to answer "yes" to some earlier question to make this section appear? I'm worried I might have accidentally skipped something important that's now hiding this option.
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Sergio Neal
•You might need to go back to the Life Events section and make sure you answered "Yes" to any education-related questions. Sometimes certain deductions and credits only appear based on your answers to those preliminary questions. If you don't see it there, try using the search function at the top of the screen - just type "education" or "1098-T" and it should take you directly to the right section. Another approach is to look in the Forms section, as you can sometimes access specific tax forms directly through that menu instead of through the guided interview process.
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Juan Moreno
After struggling with the same issue last year, I discovered taxr.ai which basically saved my life with all these confusing tax forms. I was going nuts trying to find where to put my education expenses on FreeTaxUSA too. I uploaded my 1098-T to https://taxr.ai and it instantly told me exactly where to enter everything in FreeTaxUSA. It basically breaks down your tax documents and gives you step-by-step instructions for whatever tax software you're using. Seriously made the whole process so much easier.
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Amy Fleming
•That sounds useful, but does it actually work with the free version of FreeTaxUSA? I'm trying to avoid paying anything extra since my tax situation is pretty simple aside from this education credit thing.
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Alice Pierce
•How does that work exactly? I'm always skeptical about uploading my tax documents to some random website. Is it secure? And does it actually tell you WHERE in FreeTaxUSA to enter the info, or just what numbers to put in?
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Juan Moreno
•Yes, it works with the free version! I used it with the free FreeTaxUSA option last year and it was perfectly compatible. The basic guidance doesn't cost anything extra. It's completely secure - they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. It tells you exactly where to navigate in FreeTaxUSA with screenshots showing each menu and button to click. It even explained which education credit would be better for my situation and showed me exactly where to find the box numbers from my 1098-T that needed to be entered.
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Alice Pierce
Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it after all and wow, it was actually super helpful! I uploaded my 1098-T and it showed me exactly where to go in FreeTaxUSA. There's an education credits section under the "Credits" menu that I completely missed before. It even explained that with my tuition payment, I might qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit even though the amount was small. The step-by-step screenshots made it impossible to mess up. Saved me from pulling my hair out for another hour!
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Esteban Tate
If you're still having trouble with FreeTaxUSA or any tax questions, getting through to the IRS directly can actually help but it's nearly impossible to reach them by phone these days. I spent DAYS trying to get through about a similar education credit question last year. After wasting hours on hold, I found https://claimyr.com which basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to answer. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c and it's honestly a game changer if you need to speak with the IRS directly about education credits or any tax questions.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Wait, how does that even work? How can they hold your place in line? I've literally never gotten through to the IRS after like 5 attempts so this sounds too good to be true.
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Elin Robinson
•This sounds sketchy as hell. Why would anyone need this service when you can just call the IRS yourself? Seems like a complete waste of money for something you could do on your own if you're just patient enough.
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Esteban Tate
•They use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they detect a human agent is about to answer, they call you and connect you directly to the agent. It's not magic, just smart technology. It's definitely not sketchy - it saves you from being on hold for hours. The average IRS wait time right now is over 90 minutes if you even get through at all. Most people get disconnected after waiting. I totally understand the skepticism, but when you've tried calling the IRS multiple times without success, you'll understand why this service exists.
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Elin Robinson
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my snarky comment, I was still stuck with my education credit questions that FreeTaxUSA's help section couldn't answer. Out of desperation, I tried the service. Got a call back in about 40 minutes and actually spoke to a real IRS agent who confirmed exactly where education credits should be entered and which one I qualified for. The agent even explained why my 1098-T information was important to include even for smaller amounts. I would have spent half my day on hold otherwise. Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing!
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Atticus Domingo
In FreeTaxUSA, I've found a shortcut! Instead of trying to navigate through all the menus, just click on "Search" at the top of the screen and type "1098-T" or "education credit" and it'll take you directly to the right section. Saved me so much time when I was filing last week!
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Leslie Parker
•Thank you for this tip! The search function worked perfectly. I typed in "1098-T" and it took me right to the education credits section. I can't believe I missed this before. For anyone else stuck like I was, it's under Credits > Education Credits. Even though my tuition was only $95, I'm actually getting a small credit that I would have completely missed otherwise. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Beth Ford
Has anyone had issues with FreeTaxUSA calculating the education credit incorrectly? I entered my 1098-T information exactly as it appears on the form, but the credit amount seems way off compared to what I got last year with TurboTax.
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Morita Montoya
•Make sure you're checking Box 1 vs Box 2 on your 1098-T carefully. Box 1 shows amounts PAID during the tax year, while Box 2 shows amounts BILLED. FreeTaxUSA and TurboTax might handle these differently if you're not inputting them in the right boxes. I made this mistake last year and it completely changed my education credit amount.
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Beth Ford
•Thanks for pointing that out! You're right - I was looking at Box 2 (amounts billed) instead of Box 1 (amounts paid). My university actually billed me in December but I paid in January, so they fall in different tax years. That explains the difference I was seeing.
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Aaliyah Reed
For anyone still struggling to find the education section in FreeTaxUSA, here's another approach that worked for me: Go to the main navigation and look for "Deductions & Credits" then scroll down to find "Education" or "Credits for Learning." Also, don't worry about the small amount on your 1098-T! Even a $95 tuition payment can qualify you for education credits. The Lifetime Learning Credit allows up to $2,000 in qualified expenses and gives you 20% back, so you could potentially get around $19 back from that $95. It's definitely worth including. One more tip - make sure you have your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) handy because education credits have income limits, but for most people with small tuition amounts like this, you'll likely qualify.
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