W9 and 1098-T Retroactive Forms for Education Credits - Which Parts to Send Where?

I'm... not entirely sure I understand your situation correctly. The 1098-T is typically issued BY the educational institution TO you, not the other way around. The W-9 is what you might submit to the university so they have your son's information for their reporting requirements. If you're trying to claim education credits retroactively, you would need to: 1. Contact the university's bursar office to request copies of past 1098-T forms 2. If they cannot provide them, ask for an official statement of qualified education expenses 3. File amended returns (Form 1040-X) for those tax years if you're eligible for credits you didn't claim

You're in a bit of a time crunch here. Think of this like trying to file an insurance claim after the fact - possible but requires specific documentation. For retroactive education credits, you need to move quickly since there's a 3-year window to amend returns. For 2021, that deadline is approaching fast like a bullet train! The university should be able to generate historical 1098-Ts - they maintain these records electronically. If they're telling you to fill out forms yourself, someone's giving you incorrect information. Push back and request to speak with the financial aid director or bursar directly.

I had almost exactly this situation with my daughter's university. After getting nowhere with the bursar's office, I used https://taxr.ai to help me understand what documentation I legally needed to claim the education credits retroactively. The site analyzed my situation and explained exactly which forms were required for my amended returns. It saved me from potentially losing thousands in education credits because I was about to give up after the university kept giving me the runaround. The tool specifically highlighted that I needed proof of qualified expenses - which the university is obligated to provide even without a 1098-T.

Check Box 7 on any 1098-T you get. Important. Shows if amounts are payments or billings. Makes huge difference for credits. I claimed wrong year once. Painful audit. Also check academic periods. Sometimes December payments count for next year. Frustrating system.

According to the IRS website (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc610), educational institutions must furnish Form 1098-T to students and the IRS. If you're having trouble getting the university to provide these forms, you might want to try Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) to connect with an IRS agent who can advise on your specific situation. I used them when I needed to resolve a similar education credit issue, and they got me connected to an IRS specialist in about 20 minutes who explained my rights regarding educational institution reporting. The agent confirmed that universities are required to provide this documentation and suggested specific language to use when requesting the forms.

Has anyone determined if the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit would be more advantageous in this situation? Per IRC Section 25A, there are significant differences in benefit amounts and qualification requirements. The retroactive nature of these claims might impact which credit would be optimal to pursue.