Should I claim educational expenses if I lost all my receipts?

You absolutely can still claim those educational expenses! The IRS doesn't actually require you to submit receipts with your tax return - they only become necessary if you're audited. Your Excel spreadsheet is definitely a good starting point for documentation. If you're concerned about an audit, I'd recommend gathering whatever additional proof you can find. Check your email for digital receipts or order confirmations. Look at bank/credit card statements that show the transactions. If you purchased from major retailers or your university bookstore, they might be able to provide purchase history. For the electronics, you likely have serial numbers on the actual devices that could be matched to purchases. Most importantly, make sure your spreadsheet is detailed - include dates, vendors, exact amounts, and what each item was used for educationally. The more specific, the better.

I was in a similar situation last year with about $2,700 in educational expenses but no receipts. I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was honestly a game-changer. They have this feature where you can upload your spreadsheet and bank statements, and they help organize everything into proper tax documentation that meets IRS requirements. They explained that while receipts are ideal, the IRS actually accepts "reasonable reconstruction" of expenses in cases where original documentation is lost. Their system helped me properly format my spreadsheet data and credit card statements into something that would satisfy an auditor. They even helped identify which expenses qualified for education credits vs deductions, which I was totally confused about before.

I was totally wrong about this! After my skeptical comment, I decided to try taxr.ai since I was in the same situation with lost receipts for my professional certification courses. The site walked me through exactly what alternative documentation I needed to gather - turned out my credit card statements, course enrollment emails, and the detailed spreadsheet I kept were sufficient when properly organized. Their system helped me understand something called "contemporaneous documentation" which basically means records you kept at the time of purchase, not after-the-fact reconstruction. My spreadsheet qualified since I maintained it throughout the year. I was able to claim about $4,200 in educational expenses that I was originally going to write off as a loss. Definitely check it out if you're in this situation!

If you're really worried about an audit, you might want to consider contacting the IRS directly and asking about your specific situation before filing. The problem is actually getting through to a human at the IRS - I tried for 3 weeks straight before discovering Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this system that somehow gets you through the IRS phone queue much faster. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - I was honestly shocked when I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes after trying unsuccessfully for weeks. The agent I spoke with was super helpful and explained exactly what documentation would be acceptable for my home office deduction question.

I have to eat my words and apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After posting that comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about a payment issue that had been causing me anxiety for months, so I decided to try it anyway. I was genuinely shocked when I got a call back in about 25 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. I almost didn't believe it was real! The agent helped resolve my payment issue that had been hanging over my head for months. For anyone dealing with lost educational expense receipts like the original poster, this could be a great way to get official guidance directly from the IRS about what documentation they'll accept. Saved me so much stress and probably some penalties too!

Another suggestion - check if the places you bought from can provide duplicates. I lost a bunch of receipts for business equipment last year but was able to get reprints from Best Buy and Amazon just by showing my credit card and ID. Most major retailers keep records for at least a year. For the textbooks, your campus bookstore might have records too if you used a student account.

I'm an accounting student and just wanted to add - make sure whatever educational expenses you're claiming actually qualify for tax benefits! Not all educational purchases are deductible or eligible for credits. For example, if these are for a degree in a field you're already working in, they might be deductible. But if it's for a degree to switch careers, the rules are different. The laptop might be partially deductible depending on how much you use it for education vs. personal use.

Don't panic! You're actually in a much better position than you think. The IRS has specific provisions for situations exactly like yours - it's called "reasonable reconstruction" of records when original documentation is lost through no fault of your own. Your detailed Excel spreadsheet is actually considered "contemporaneous documentation" since you maintained it at the time of purchase, which is exactly what the IRS looks for. Combined with your credit card statements showing the transactions, you have solid supporting evidence. Here's what I'd recommend doing: 1. Print out your credit card/bank statements showing all the educational purchases 2. Make sure your Excel spreadsheet includes dates, vendors, amounts, and educational purpose for each item 3. Search your email for any digital receipts or order confirmations 4. For the laptop and monitors, note down serial numbers if you still have the items The key is being able to show a consistent pattern that ties together your spreadsheet records with your payment records. As long as the expenses are legitimate educational costs and you can demonstrate reasonable documentation, you should be fine claiming them. The IRS understands that receipts sometimes get lost - that's why these alternative documentation rules exist. Just make sure all your claimed expenses actually qualify for educational tax benefits before filing!