Eligibility requirements for the “American opportunity tax credit”

Please make sure that you meet the following criteria in order to claim the “American opportunity tax credit”.

1. You must be a  Student in one of the following educational institutions: Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Bar Ilan University, Hebrew University, Technion, Ben Gurion University, The Interdisciplinary College in Herzelyia (IDC)
2. You must be during the first 4 years of your postsecondary  education.
3. Have a SSN (Social Security Number).
4. You must be enrolled at least half time for at least one academic period beginning during the year
5. Income:
   1. If you file as single, your income can’t exceed 90,000$ per year.
   2. If you file a joint return your income can’t exceed 180,000$.
6. No felony drug convictions on student’s records

 Please Note: If one of the two following situations applies to you , you should consult a Virtue tax representative so that we can guide you through the necessary steps in order to prove your eligibility:

1. If your parents registered you as a dependent on their Tax return for that year.
2. If you were under age 24 at the end of the calendar year (for 2016 if you were born after 31/12/1992 This section is relevant to you).

Most students in Israel and the United States met the eligibility criteria.

 For the education credits instruction booklet from the IRS site please click here.

We recommend that you contact, by phone or email, one of Virtue tax  representatives for confirming your eligibility and assisting in your application