Uncle Sam offers to finance your Education

Education. The Tax Code includes a number of incentives to help bring down the cost of education. The new law expands the current Hope education credit (and renames it the American Opportunity Tax Credit). More individuals will be able to take advantage of this credit because of expanded income phase-outs. The new law also raises the maximum credit, extends it over four years of post-secondary school education, and makes 40 percent of the credit refundable. In a related development, the new law also permits beneficiaries of qualified tuition plans (known as "529" plan) to use tax-free distributions to pay for computers and computer technology.