“ I want to know if I can amend to claim that credit. This is complicated by 2 factors: “1) I amended my 2009 taxes once already due to a W-2 that arrived late.”-->As you can see, your amended return allow you to correct errors,i.e., over or under-reported income or incorrect deductions and credits made on your IRS tax return. You can amend it as many times as you have to in order to get it right, not just once
“2) I did not receive a 1098-T for 2009 because my scholarships and grants were equal to my tuition. However, my other qualified expenditures (mostly text books) add up to $ 1,600, so this is definitely worth the trouble.”---> Basically, a 1098-T form must also be provided to each applicable student. This form is informational only. Beginning with 2003, educational institutions must also report amounts to the IRS pertaining to qualified tuition and related expenses, as well as scholarships and/or grants, taxable or not. There is no IRS requirement that you must claim the tuition and fees deduction or an education credit. Claiming education tax benefits is a voluntary decision for those who may qualify. when calculating your AOC credit, any scholarships, grants, or other non-taxable aid must be deducted from the amount of qualified tuition and related expenses paid. If you have additional questions/concerns you can reach by E-mail:
[email protected] ;by Phone: (800) 443-5522 ext 5878 ;IRS Tax Info: (800) 829-1040
“Any advice, or is there a better forum in which to post this question? If anyone can provide me any direction at all I would appreciate it (even if the advice is that I just need to call the IRS).”--->I guess there are tons of taxation related forums online.