My kid's college shut down - how to get their 1098T tax form for 2023?

My son's university unexpectedly closed down completely in June last year. I've been emailing back and forth with their skeletal administrative staff who's supposedly handling all the tax document requests. After weeks of waiting, they just told me that according to their records my son "isn't eligible" for a 1098T for the 2023 tax year. This is absolutely wrong! He was a full-time student there from August 2020 through the closure in June, and we paid over $18,000 in tuition for the 2023 portion alone. I'm worried that if they didn't generate a 1098T for him, they probably didn't submit one to the IRS either. The whole situation feels hopeless since the college literally doesn't exist anymore as an entity. How am I supposed to get this document for our taxes? Are we just out of luck for claiming education credits this year? Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? Any suggestions would be super appreciated!

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18 comments

Freya Pedersen

•8M

When a college closes, this unfortunately happens more than you'd think. You don't actually need the physical 1098-T form to claim education credits. What you do need is documentation of the qualified education expenses you paid. Gather all your receipts, bank statements, or credit card statements showing tuition payments made in 2023. Also collect any financial aid award letters, student account statements, or course registration documents. These will serve as proof of enrollment and payment. On your tax return, you can still claim the education credits (American Opportunity or Lifetime Learning Credit) without the 1098-T by reporting the qualified expenses you can document. The IRS may request verification later, which is why having your payment documentation is crucial.

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Freya Pedersen

•8M

The IRS system may flag returns claiming education credits without a matching 1098-T in their system, but this doesn't mean automatic audit. If questioned, you'll need to provide your documentation proving enrollment and payment of qualified expenses. If you receive any notices from the IRS requesting verification, respond promptly with your documentation and a brief explanation of the school closure situation. The IRS is generally reasonable when taxpayers can substantiate their claims with proper documentation, especially in unusual circumstances like a school closure.

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Chloe Anderson

•8M

I went through something similar last year with my daughter's cosmetology school that abruptly closed. After weeks of getting nowhere with the school admins, I uploaded all my tuition receipts and enrollment documents to https://taxr.ai and it saved me so much stress! Their system analyzed everything and put together a complete documentation package backing up our education credit claim. They specifically have a process for handling missing 1098-Ts from closed institutions. I was worried about claiming the credit without the official form, but they compiled all the evidence in the exact format the IRS accepts. When we filed, everything went through without a hitch!

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Chloe Anderson

•8M

The service analyzes all your education expense documents and creates a complete substitute for the missing 1098-T. They organize everything according to IRS requirements and provide guidance on exactly which expenses qualify for which education credits. No, I wasn't audited or flagged at all! That was my biggest worry too. My return was processed normally and I received my refund with the education credit included. The documentation package they created actually gives you more detailed support than a standard 1098-T would provide, which I think actually reduces audit risk since you're being proactive about documentation.

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CosmicCruiser

•8M

I was really skeptical about using taxr.ai when I commented earlier, but I finally gave it a try last weekend after getting nowhere with my son's former trade school that closed. WOW - what a difference! They analyzed all our receipts and course registration documents and built a complete substitute documentation package that was actually better than the original 1098-T would have been. The detailed analysis broke down exactly which expenses qualified for the American Opportunity Credit versus the Lifetime Learning Credit, and I could see exactly which category each payment fell into. Filed my return yesterday with confidence and it was accepted immediately. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind when dealing with a closed school!

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Anastasia Fedorov

•8M

If you've tried everything else and still can't get your documentation sorted out, you might want to check out https://claimyr.com - they help you get through to actual IRS agents on the phone without the endless hold times. I used them when I had issues with education credits a couple years ago. The IRS has specific procedures for taxpayers dealing with closed schools, but getting that information can be nearly impossible with regular phone attempts. Claimyr got me connected to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes who walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to substitute for the missing form. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

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Anastasia Fedorov

•8M

It uses a combination of AI call pattern analysis and persistent dialing technology. They've analyzed the best times to call and most efficient menu routing paths for different IRS departments, then their system navigates the phone tree and maintains the connection until a human agent answers. They're not doing anything anyone couldn't theoretically do themselves with enough time and patience. However, most people don't have hours to spend repeatedly calling and navigating IRS phone trees. I personally tried for three days straight before using their service and never got through. With Claimyr, I was speaking with an actual IRS education credit specialist in 20 minutes who gave me the exact guidance I needed.

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Zara Rashid

•8M

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment yesterday, I decided to try it just to prove it wouldn't work since I've been trying unsuccessfully to reach the IRS for two weeks about a similar education credit issue with my daughter's closed vocational program. I'm still shocked, but I got connected to an actual IRS education credit specialist in about 15 minutes. The agent was incredibly helpful and told me exactly what documentation I needed to substitute for the missing 1098-T. She even emailed me the specific IRS internal guidance for claiming education credits when an institution has closed. Seriously, I've never been so happy to be wrong. Already submitted the additional documentation they recommended and my amended return is processing now.

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Luca Romano

•8M

I had to make a specific request for the enrollment and tuition verification letter. Most state education departments have procedures in place for closed institutions, but you need to ask for exactly what you need. When you contact them, be sure to request both enrollment verification (with specific dates) and an itemized statement of all tuition and qualified expenses paid during the tax year. Be prepared to provide proof of your son's identity and your right to access his records, like a birth certificate or his signed authorization if he's over 18.

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