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Full time student/GI Bill/Full time employee

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PromisedLife

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? OK

Husband is working full-time (employee), and is also enrolled in school full-time (all online). He receives GI Bill/VA benefits, benefits are for full-time enrollment. The benefits exceed the cost of tuition and books, so we are not claiming any of his education expenses. We're also not claiming the 'excess' benefits as income, as the VA states recipients do not have to/should not count it as taxable income.

Our question is regarding the "full-time" student question we encountered when doing our taxes online (in regards to the retirement savings contribution credit). Last year, we were under the impression we should answer "no", because one of the VA counselors told my husband that because the VA basically pays his tuition, the IRS does not see him as a full-time student. Has anyone heard of that before? Is this true?

Don't want to unknowingly cheat on our taxes and/or get audited because the VA records (husband is full time student) do not match IRS records (husband is not full time student).

Thanks for your time.
 


LdiJ

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? OK

Husband is working full-time (employee), and is also enrolled in school full-time (all online). He receives GI Bill/VA benefits, benefits are for full-time enrollment. The benefits exceed the cost of tuition and books, so we are not claiming any of his education expenses. We're also not claiming the 'excess' benefits as income, as the VA states recipients do not have to/should not count it as taxable income.

Our question is regarding the "full-time" student question we encountered when doing our taxes online (in regards to the retirement savings contribution credit). Last year, we were under the impression we should answer "no", because one of the VA counselors told my husband that because the VA basically pays his tuition, the IRS does not see him as a full-time student. Has anyone heard of that before? Is this true?

Don't want to unknowingly cheat on our taxes and/or get audited because the VA records (husband is full time student) do not match IRS records (husband is not full time student).

Thanks for your time.
Your husband would not count as a full time student for the purposes of the credit, because he is also working full time. Its not because the VA is paying his education expenses, its because he is also working full time.
 

PromisedLife

Junior Member
Thanks once again, LdiJ :)! I'm surprised this wasn't in the list of exceptions. So much for the 'biggest refund guaranteed' ;) Thank you!
 

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