Form 8863

Department of the Treasury 

Internal Revenue Service (99) 

Education Credits (American Opportunity and 

Lifetime Learning Credits)

▶ See separate instructions to find out if you are eligible to take the credits.

 ▶ Attach to Form 1040 or Form 1040A.

OMB No. 1545-0074 

2010

Attachment 

Sequence No. 50 

Name(s) shown on return Your social security number 

Part I 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)

(f) If column (d) is zero, 

enter the amount from 

column (c). Otherwise, 

add $2,000 to the 

amount in column (e).

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 . . . . . . ▶ 2

Part II 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) (b) Student’s social security

number (as shown on page

1 of your tax return)

(c) Qualified

expenses (see

instructions) First name Last name

4 Add the amounts on line 3, column (c), and enter the total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

5 Enter the smaller of line 4 or $10,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

6 Tentative lifetime learning credit. Multiply line 5 by 20% (.20). If you have an entry on line 2, go to 

Part III; otherwise go to Part IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see your tax return instructions. Cat. No. 25379M Form 8863 (2010)

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

CAUTION
Form 8863 (2010) Page 2 

Part III Refundable American Opportunity Credit

7 Enter the amount from line 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

8 Enter: $180,000 if married filing jointly; $90,000 if single, head of 

household, or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

9 Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 38,* or Form 1040A, line 22 . . . 9

10 Subtract line 9 from line 8. If zero or less, stop; you cannot take any

education credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

11 Enter: $20,000 if married filing jointly; $10,000 if single, head of household, 

or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

12 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) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . } . . . . 12 . 

13 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 . . ▶ 13

14 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 . . . . . . . . . 14

Part IV Nonrefundable Education Credits

15 Subtract line 14 from line 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

16 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) . . . . 16

17 Enter: $120,000 if married filing jointly; $60,000 if single, head of 

household, or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

18 Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 38,* or Form 1040A, line 22 . . . 18

19 Subtract line 18 from line 17. If zero or less, skip lines 20 and 21, and enter 

zero on line 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

20 Enter: $20,000 if married filing jointly; $10,000 if single, head of household, 

or qualifying widow(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

21 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) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 .

22 Multiply line 16 by line 21. Enter here and on line 1 of the Credit Limit Worksheet (see instructions) ▶ 22

23 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 . . . . . . . . . 23

*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)