- quote -

No. You get these credits based on what you actually paid.
They also aren't of much use if you don't owe any tax.

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

- quote -

I "may" disagree with all the responses that said that the
education credit cannot cause her to get back more than she
put in. We all know that the education credit is
non-refundable. But try this scenario ...

Single, one dependent, $300 tax liability, no withholding,
no advanced child credit.

Without the education credit, $300 of her child tax credit
wipes out her tax liability, but she gets back $700 due to
the additional child tax credit.

With the education credit, the education credit wipes out
the liability, she gets no child tax credit, but a refund of
$1,000 due to the additional child tax credit.

QED.

--
Don EA in Upstate NY

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

mdkuom[at]hotmail.com (Mark) wrote:

- quote -

A credit reduces her tax $ for $, but not less than -0-.
This ia a non-refundable credit, so she will get her
withholding back, but not more.

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

Mark wrote:

- quote -

The credit is based on tuition and further limited to be
calculated on the actual amount paid. If the HOPE credit
(first two years of college), the max may be 1500, but one
must have PAID 2000 for that.

If beyond first two years, then it's 20% of actual tuition
PAID.

cheer$,
Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

Mark wrote:

- quote -

The facts provided are somewhat ambiguous. To be eligible
for an education credit for herself, she would have had to
incur unreimbursed qualified education expense: Either $1000
of expense if the Hope Credit or $5000 of expense if the
Lifetime Learning Credit. These credits are not refundable.
In order to actually claim the credit, she would have to
have a tax liability.

--
Alan
http://taxtopics.net

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

"Mark" <mdkuom[at]hotmail.com> wrote:

- quote -

Unfortunately, I believe the answer is no.

The education credit is not applicable to any amount in
excess of tax liability.

At least it was like that a few years ago when my daughter
used it.

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

mdkuom[at]hotmail.com (Mark) writes:

- quote -

No. The education credit cannot reduce tax below zero.
Have her also take a look at using the education expenses as
an adjustment to income rather than as a credit. The result
on the Federal would probably still be zero, but it might
save her money on the state.

Phil Marti
Topeka, KS

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

"Mark" <mdkuom[at]hotmail.com> wrote:

- quote -

Education credits may be used to drive her tax down to zero,
but not cause her to get a refund. This credit is called a
non-refundable tax credit-unlike Earned Income Credit and
others.

Wayne Brasch, CPA, M. S. Taxation

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->

My fiance is eligible for an education credit of about
$1000. She paid nowhere near that amount in. Can she still
get it? She is not claimed by anyone else.

<< -------------------------------------------------> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org > << ------------------------------------------------->