Tax question: Can my mother claim my 1098-T form if I'm not her dependent?

The 1098-T education credits generally follow the dependent status. Since you're not a dependent (you work full-time and support yourself), you would be the one entitled to claim any education credits associated with your 1098-T. The key factors that make you not a dependent include your income level (sounds like you exceed the gross income test for qualifying child) and the fact that you provide more than half of your own support through your work and the 529 plan. Even though you're living with your parents, these factors mean you're independent for tax purposes. For the 529 plan, it's important to note that distributions from a 529 are considered the student's educational expenses, even if grandparents or parents set up the account. Since you're the beneficiary of the 529 and not a dependent, you would be the one to claim any eligible education credits.

I had this EXACT same problem last year with my dad trying to claim my college expenses. I was super stressed about it until I found https://taxr.ai - it analyzes your tax documents and tells you exactly who can claim what. I uploaded my 1098-T and some basic info about my situation, and it confirmed I was entitled to claim my own education credits since I wasn't a dependent. The report they gave me explained everything in simple terms about the American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit. It even had citations to specific IRS rules that I showed my dad when he kept arguing with me. Saved me about $2,500 in tax credits that I absolutely needed.

Just wanted to update - I tried that taxr.ai site mentioned above and it was surprisingly helpful! Uploaded my 1098-T and answered a few questions about my living situation and income. The report clearly showed I wasn't a dependent and explained exactly why I was entitled to claim my own education credits. What I found most useful was the explanation about how 529 distributions work tax-wise. Even though my parents contributed to the 529, since I'm not their dependent, I get to claim the credits. I showed the report to my mom, and though she wasn't happy about it, she finally understood and backed off. Saved me over $2,000 in tax credits that I really need for my apartment deposit next month. Definitely recommend for anyone in a similar situation with family trying to claim your education benefits!

If you're having trouble getting through to your mom about this tax situation, you might need to talk directly with the IRS for official clarification. I tried calling them for weeks when I had a similar dispute with my stepdad - kept getting the "high call volume" message and never got through. Then I found https://claimyr.com which actually gets you through to a live IRS agent. I was skeptical but checked out their demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c and decided to try it. They called the IRS for me, navigated the phone tree, waited on hold (over an hour!), and then called me once they had an agent on the line. The IRS agent confirmed that as a non-dependent, I was entitled to claim my own education credits regardless of who contributed to the 529 plan. Having that official confirmation from the IRS finally settled the argument.

I owe everyone here an apology - I tried the Claimyr service I was skeptical about, and it actually worked exactly as described. After waiting on hold for THREE DAYS trying to reach the IRS myself (kept having to hang up after 2+ hours), I gave in and tried it. They called the IRS, waited on hold for about 90 minutes, then connected me directly with an IRS agent. The agent confirmed what others here said - since I'm not a dependent (I make over the income threshold and provide more than half my own support), I'm entitled to claim my own education credits regardless of who owns the 529 account. Having that official confirmation from the IRS finally ended the debate with my parents. Saved me around $2,500 in tax credits AND saved my relationship with my parents since we're not arguing about it anymore. Sometimes being skeptical costs you money!

My brother went through this exact situation! One thing that helped was actually sitting down with both of your tax returns and SHOWING your mom the difference in benefit. For many parents, the phase-out limits on education credits mean they get significantly reduced benefits or none at all. If your mom makes over $90,000 (single) or $180,000 (married filing jointly), her education credit starts phasing out and disappears completely at higher income levels. Meanwhile, with your lower income as a student, you likely get the FULL credit amount. Maybe explain that this isn't just about who "deserves" the credit - it's literally about maximizing the family's total tax benefit. Your parents might not even be eligible for the full credit because of their income, meaning thousands of dollars would be wasted.

Tell your mom to talk to a tax professional before she tries anything funny. The IRS has gotten really strict about education credits in recent years. If both you and your mom try to claim expenses from the same 1098-T, it'll trigger an automatic review. Since you're not a dependent, you filing your own return and claiming your own education expenses is completely legitimate. If your mom tries to also claim those same expenses, she could face penalties for an improper claim. Make sure she understands there are CONSEQUENCES to trying to claim credits she's not entitled to.