Form 1098-T

[Burke]

Yet again, another verification that these forms are not to be believed. Form shows Box 2 "Amount Billed" = $3,898. No other information on form in Box 1, Box 3, Box 4, Box 5, 6 or 7. Box 8 checked. Print-out of payment history from college for this dependent shows tuition of $15,623.00 paid by taxpayer in 2009.

[FEDUKE404]

Logic does not apply to Form 1098-T

Yet again, another verification that these forms are not to be believed. Form shows Box 2 "Amount Billed" = $3,898. No other information on form in Box 1, Box 3, Box 4, Box 5, 6 or 7. Box 8 checked. Print-out of payment history from college for this dependent shows tuition of $15,623.00 paid by taxpayer in 2009.

Well, "billed" is by definition not the same as "paid."

Charges could have been billed on 12/15 of one year (and appear on the Form 1098-T) but not paid by the taxpayer until the following January. And then the following December he might have paid the upcoming spring semester early (actually, "on time" for most places).

Toss in some "now you see 'em....now you don't" scholarships (which can be a on completely different time sequence) and the picture gets even more cloudy.

Aside from this possible explanation, the forms are still basically worthless.

FE