Higher Education Tax Breaks
June 8, 2016
In 2009, Congress replaced the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit with the American Opportunity Tax
Credit (AOTC). Compared with the Hope credit, the AOTC offers more annual tax savings and
is available to people with higher incomes. Moreover, the AOTC can be claimed during a
student’s first four years of higher education, whereas the Hope credit was limited to the first two
years.
The AOTC was scheduled to expire after 2017, but the PATH Act makes it permanent.
Under the AOTC, the maximum tax saving is $2,500 per student per year; that amount requires
you to spend at least $4,000 per student in a calendar year. In addition, 40% of the AOTC (up to
$1,000) is refundable, which means you can receive a check from the IRS if you owe no tax.
Money you pay for tuition and related fees counts for calculating the tax credit. Such
qualified expenses also include expenditures for course materials, which means books, supplies
and equipment needed for a course of study. An expenditure for a computer also would qualify
for the credit if the computer is needed as a condition of enrollment or attendance at the
educational institution.
To get the full AOTC, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must be $80,000 or
less, or $160,000 or less if you file a joint return. The credit phases out for taxpayers with MAGI
over those amounts, with no credit allowed if your MAGI is over $90,000 or $180,000 if you file
a joint return.
529 plans
These plans, offered by most states, allow contributions to grow, tax-free. Withdrawals also are
untaxed to the extent of qualified higher education expenses.
Previously, computers and related equipment were considered “qualified,” for this
purpose, only if they were required by the school for course attendance or enrollment. Under the
PATH Act, outlays for computers, peripheral equipment, Internet access and computer software
are classed as qualified expenses, even if they are not specifically required. Thus, if you buy a
computer or related items for college, you can take money from the student’s 529 plan to cover
the costs without owing any tax or penalty.
ABLE accounts
Another PATH provision affects ABLE accounts, sometimes known as 529A plans. ABLE
accounts are for individuals with special needs; tax-free distributions allow beneficiaries to pay
for disability-related expenses without sacrificing government assistance benefits. Formerly,
ABLE beneficiaries were limited to their home state’s plan, but now any state’s ABLE plan will
be acceptable.