From USAToday:
More than 314,000 taxpayers made inaccurate claims for a popular tax credit that helps pay college expenses, getting $532 million they weren't entitled to receive, a government report said Thursday.
The Hope Credit provides up to $1,650 a year to help pay expenses for the first two years of college. The taxpayers claimed the credit for the same student three consecutive years, instead of the two years available, said a report by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration. Auditors reviewed two three-year periods, ending in 2006 and 2007. About 58,000 claimed the credit a fourth consecutive year in 2007. The inspector general's report do not list names of taxpayers.
The report said the Internal Revenue Service needs better tools to detect and fix inaccurate claims, and the IRS agreed. The problem should ease since Congress has expanded the credit to four years of college, for those claiming the credit in 2009 and 2010.
"The Hope Credit is intended to help taxpayers pay for the ever increasing cost of higher education," said J. Russell George, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration. "It is imperative that the IRS works with the Treasury Department and Congress to obtain the tools it needs to effectively administer this important credit."
