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

2011

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

Attachment
Sequence No. 50
Your social security number

Name(s) shown on return

!
▲

OMB No. 1545-0074

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)

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Form 8863 (2011)

Page 2

Form 8863 (2011)

Part III

Refundable American Opportunity Credit

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8

Enter the amount from line 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter: $180,000 if married filing jointly; $90,000 if single, head of
household, or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . .

9

Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 38, or Form 1040A, line 22. 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 . . . . . . . .
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 . . . . . . . . .

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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 40. Then go to line 15 below . . . . . . . . .

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

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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: $122,000 if married filing jointly; $61,000 if single, head of
household, or qualifying widow(er)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 38, or Form 1040A, line 22. 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 . . . . . . . .
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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Form 8863 (2011)