What this line means
The nonrefundable portion of your education credits from Form 8863, line 19. This covers two credits: the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC). The AOTC is worth up to $2,500 per eligible student for the first four years of postsecondary education — 40% of it ($1,000) is refundable and appears on Form 1040 line 29, while the remaining 60% ($1,500) is nonrefundable and appears here. The LLC is worth up to $2,000 per return for any level of postsecondary education.
Does this apply to you?
- You paid tuition and required fees for yourself, your spouse, or a dependent enrolled at least half-time in a degree program (AOTC)
- You paid tuition and fees for any postsecondary course, including graduate school, professional certifications, or continuing education (LLC)
- You received a Form 1098-T from an eligible educational institution
- Your modified AGI is below the phaseout thresholds: $90,000 single / $180,000 MFJ for the AOTC, or $80,000 single / $160,000 MFJ for the LLC
Easy to overlook
The AOTC includes course materials, not just tuition The AOTC covers tuition, required enrollment fees, and course materials — books, supplies, and equipment needed for a course of study. 1 The LLC covers only tuition and required enrollment fees. Filers claiming the AOTC often include only the amount on Form 1098-T Box 1 and miss hundreds of dollars in qualifying textbook and supply costs. Keep receipts for course materials purchased from any vendor, not just the campus bookstore. IRS Form 8863 Instructions — Education Credits
You cannot claim both credits for the same student in the same year The AOTC and LLC are mutually exclusive per student per year. 2 If you have two children in college, you can claim the AOTC for one and the LLC for the other — but you cannot claim both for the same student. Since the AOTC is more generous ($2,500 vs. $2,000 and partially refundable), it is the better choice for students in their first four years. The LLC is the fallback for fifth-year students, graduate students, or those who have already used four years of AOTC. General filing pattern — claiming both AOTC and LLC for same student
Watch out for this
Claiming the AOTC for more than four tax years per student. The credit is limited to four tax years of postsecondary education per student, lifetime. If you claimed it for tax years 2021 through 2024, the student has exhausted the AOTC. The IRS tracks this across returns. You can still claim the LLC for that student’s fifth year and beyond.
Footnotes
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IRS Form 8863 Instructions, Qualified Education Expenses for the AOTC. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8863 ↩
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IRS Form 8863 Instructions, Who Can Claim an Education Credit. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8863 ↩