Federal Form 8815 Instructions

General Instructions

Future Developments

For the latest information about developments related to Form 8815 and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they were published, go to www.irs.gov/form8815 .

Purpose of Form

If you cashed series EE or I U.S. savings bonds in 2013 that were issued after 1989, you may be able to exclude from your income part or all of the interest on those bonds. Use this form to figure the amount of any interest you may exclude.

Who Can Take the Exclusion

You can take the exclusion if all four of the following apply.

1. You cashed qualified U.S. savings bonds in 2013 that were issued after 1989.
2. You paid qualified higher education expenses in 2013 for yourself, your spouse, or your dependents.
3. Your filing status is any status except married filing separately.
4. Your modified AGI (adjusted gross income) is less than: $89,700 if single or head of household; $142,050 if married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child. See the instructions for line 9 to figure your modified AGI.

U.S. Savings Bonds That Qualify for Exclusion

To qualify for the exclusion, the bonds must be series EE or I U.S. savings bonds issued after 1989 in your name, or, if you are married, they may be issued in your name and your spouse's name. Also, you must have been age 24 or older before the bonds were issued. A bond bought by a parent and issued in the name of his or her child under age 24 does not qualify for the exclusion by the parent or child.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Keep the following records to verify interest you exclude.

• Bills, receipts, canceled checks, or other documents showing you paid qualified higher education expenses in 2013.
• A written record of each post-1989 series EE or I bond that you cash. Your record must include the serial number, issue date, face value, and total redemption proceeds (principal and interest) of each bond. You can use Form 8818, Optional Form To Record Redemption of Series EE and I U.S. Savings Bonds Issued After 1989, as your written record.

Specific Instructions

Line 1

Column (a). Enter the name of the person who was enrolled at or attended an eligible educational institution or for whom you made contributions to a Coverdell education savings account (Coverdell ESA) or a qualified tuition program (QTP). This person must be you, your spouse, or your dependent(s) claimed on line 6c of Form 1040 or Form 1040A. An eligible educational institution is generally any accredited public, nonprofit, or private college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary institution. The institution must be eligible to participate in the student aid programs administered by the Department of Education. Virtually all accredited postsecondary institutions meet this requirement.

Column (b). Enter the name and address of the institution. If the person was enrolled at or attended more than one, list all of them. Also, if you contributed to a Coverdell ESA for the person, enter "Coverdell ESA" and the name and address of the financial institution where the account is located. For contributions to a QTP, enter "QTP" and the name and address of the program.

Line 2

Qualified higher education expenses include tuition and fees required for the enrollment or attendance of the person(s) listed on line 1, column (a), at the institution(s) listed in column (b). They also include contributions to a Coverdell ESA or a QTP for the person(s) listed on line 1. Qualified expenses do not include expenses for:

• Room and board or
• Courses involving sports, games, or hobbies that are not part of a degree or certificate granting program.
• Do not include on line 2 expenses that were:
• Covered by nontaxable educational benefits paid directly to, or by, the educational institution,
• Used to figure an education credit on Form 8863, or
• Used to figure the nontaxable amount of a distribution from a Coverdell ESA or QTP.

Line 3

Enter on this line the total qualified higher education expenses included on line 2 that were covered by nontaxable educational benefits. These benefits include:

• Scholarship or fellowship grants excludable from income under section 117. See chapter 1 of Pub. 970 for more information.
• Veterans' educational assistance benefits.
• Employer-provided educational assistance benefits that are not included in box 1 of your Form(s) W-2.
• Payments, waivers, or reimbursements of educational expenses under a QTP.
• Any other payments (but not gifts, bequests, or inheritances) for educational expenses that are exempt from income tax by any U.S. law.

Do not include on line 3 nontaxable educational benefits paid directly to, or by, the educational institution.

Example. You paid $10,000 of qualified higher education expenses in 2013 to the college your son attended. None of the expenses are used to figure an education credit or the nontaxable amount of a Coverdell ESA or QTP. You claim your son as a dependent on line 6c of your 2013 tax return. Your son received a $2,000 nontaxable scholarship grant for 2013, which was paid directly to him. In this case, enter $10,000 on line 2 and $2,000 on line 3.

Line 6

If you reported any of the interest before 2013, see Pub. 550 for the amount to enter. Otherwise, enter the amount from Form 8818, line 8 (if you used that form to record the bonds cashed), or use the following worksheet to figure the amount to enter.

Line 6 Worksheet

Line 9

Follow these steps before you fill in the Line 9 Worksheet below.

*For purposes of figuring the amount to report on Form 8815, line 9, do not reduce your educator expenses, if any, by the amount on Form 8815, line 14.

Line 9 Worksheet