Form 8863 Education Credits

Form

8863

Education Credits (American Opportunity and
Lifetime Learning Credits)
▶

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service (99)

CAUTION

Part I

2010

See separate instructions to find out if you are eligible to take the credits.
▶ Attach to Form 1040 or Form 1040A.

Name(s) shown on return

!
▲

OMB No. 1545-0074

Attachment
Sequence No. 50
Your social security number

You cannot take both an education credit and the tuition and fees deduction (see Form 8917) for the same student for
the same year.

American Opportunity Credit
Caution: You cannot take the American opportunity credit for more than 4 tax years for the same student.

1

(a) Student’s name
(as shown on page 1
of your tax return)
First name
Last name

(b) Student’s
social security
number (as
shown on page 1
of your tax return)

(c) Qualified
expenses (see
instructions). Do
not enter more
than $4,000 for
each student.

(d) Subtract $2,000
from the amount in
column (c). If zero
or less, enter -0-.

(e) Multiply the
amount in column
(d) by 25% (.25)

2 Tentative American opportunity credit. Add the amounts on line 1, column (f). If you are taking the
lifetime learning credit for a different student, go to Part II; otherwise, go to Part III . . . . . . ▶

Part II

(f) If column (d) is zero,
enter the amount from
column (c). Otherwise,
add $2,000 to the
amount in column (e).

2

Lifetime Learning Credit
Caution: You cannot take the American opportunity credit and the lifetime learning credit for the same student in
the same year.

3

(a) Student’s name (as shown on page 1 of your tax return)

First name

4
5
6

Last name

Add the amounts on line 3, column (c), and enter the total . . . . .
Enter the smaller of line 4 or $10,000 . . . . . . . . . . .
Tentative lifetime learning credit. Multiply line 5 by 20% (.20). If you
Part III; otherwise go to Part IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see your tax return instructions.

(b) Student’s social security
number (as shown on page
1 of your tax return)

. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
have an entry on line 2, go to
. . . . . . . . .
Cat. No. 25379M

(c) Qualified
expenses (see
instructions)

4
5
6
Form 8863 (2010)

Page 2

Form 8863 (2010)

Part III
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8
9
10
11
12

Refundable American Opportunity Credit

Enter the amount from line 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter: $180,000 if married filing jointly; $90,000 if single, head of
household, or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 38,* or Form 1040A, line 22 . . .
9
Subtract line 9 from line 8. If zero or less, stop; you cannot take any
education credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Enter: $20,000 if married filing jointly; $10,000 if single, head of household,
or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
If line 10 is:
• Equal to or more than line 11, enter 1.000 on line 12 . . . . . . . . .

.

.

.

.

• Less than line 11, divide line 10 by line 11. Enter the result as a decimal (rounded to
at least three places) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13

14

17
18
19
20
21

22
23

}

.

.

.

7

.

Multiply line 7 by line 12. Caution: If you were under age 24 at the end of the year and meet
the conditions on page 4 of the instructions, you cannot take the refundable American opportunity
credit. Skip line 14, enter the amount from line 13 on line 15, and check this box . . ▶
Refundable American opportunity credit. Multiply line 13 by 40% (.40). Enter the amount here and
on Form 1040, line 66, or Form 1040A, line 43. Then go to line 15 below . . . . . . . . .

Part IV
15
16

. . . . .

12

.

13
14

Nonrefundable Education Credits

Subtract line 14 from line 13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter the amount from line 6, if any. If you have no entry on line 6, skip lines 17 through 22, and
enter the amount from line 15 on line 6 of the Credit Limit Worksheet (see instructions) . . . .
Enter: $120,000 if married filing jointly; $60,000 if single, head of
household, or qualifying widow(er)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 38,* or Form 1040A, line 22 . . .
18
Subtract line 18 from line 17. If zero or less, skip lines 20 and 21, and enter
zero on line 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
Enter: $20,000 if married filing jointly; $10,000 if single, head of household,
or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
If line 19 is:
• Equal to or more than line 20, enter 1.000 on line 21 and go to line 22
• Less than line 20, divide line 19 by line 20. Enter the result as a decimal (rounded to at least three
places) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiply line 16 by line 21. Enter here and on line 1 of the Credit Limit Worksheet (see instructions) ▶
Nonrefundable education credits. Enter the amount from line 11 of the Credit Limit Worksheet
(see instructions) here and on Form 1040, line 49, or Form 1040A, line 31 . . . . . . . . .

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16

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22

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*If you are filing Form 2555, 2555-EZ, or 4563, or you are excluding income from Puerto Rico, see Pub. 970 for the amount to enter.
Form 8863 (2010)