529s count against you for federal aid “The greater the assets in the plan, the less aid is available from grants, loans and financial scholarships.” It's important to note, however, that the hit to financial aid depends on who owns the account.
Opening a 529 can be completed in (as little as) these four steps: Select a plan. You'll have to choose between a savings plan or a prepaid plan. Choose a beneficiary. This will likely be your child — but remember, you can change the beneficiary at any time without penalty. Open the account. Build your portfolio.
This means keeping detailed records that include account statements with tuition and room and board; receipts for computer equipment, accessories, software, and internet; syllabi documenting course requirements (e.g., lab fees); canceled checks and records showing withdrawals for all other qualified education expenses.
529 recordkeeping This is why it's important to keep good records (receipts and supporting documentation) that reconcile the total withdrawals that the 1099-Q reports to the IRS with the total that was spent on qualified educational expenses.
If an investor opened a tax-deferred 529 account with an initial investment of $2,500 and contributed $100 every month for 18 years, the account could be worth over $6,300 more than with similar contributions into a taxable account.
It's also important to document your spending for at least three years, in case the IRS asks for proof of your qualified withdrawals.
In each year you take withdrawals from a 529, the plan administrator should issue a Form 1099-Q, which reports the total distribution taken from the account in a given year, the portion of the distribution that came from earnings in the account, and the portion of the distribution that represents the original ...
If the beneficiary of a 529 account doesn't go to college, you canchange the beneficiary or take a non-qualified withdrawal. If you take a non-qualified withdrawal, you will incur income tax as well as a 10% penalty tax on the earnings portionof the account.
The gift-tax annual exclusion increases from $18,000 to $19,000 in 2025, so the maximum amount of contributions eligible for the 5-year election increased from $90,000 to $95,000.