Education Tax Credit Essentials provides details for preparing tax returns with education tax credits such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit. This systematic analysis guides preparers in the steps required to process education credit claims, from researching scholarships and calculating the maximum credit to coordinating with educational savings accounts and Pell grants. Beginning with an overview of education credits it, discusses treasury regulations, types of scholarships, scholarship treatments, and scholarship research. This book also discusses 1098T reporting rules, coordinating tax benefits, and tax planning. Illustrated aids assist in document preparation and student account tabulation with examples of records from two local institutions. The AOTC worksheet included is instrumental in calculating the maximum credit and a collection of tax preparation techniques are discussed to simplify credit calculations based on individual circumstances.