The practical difference

Form 1098-T focuses on qualified tuition and related education information reported by eligible educational institutions and other covered filers. Form 1098-E focuses on student loan interest received from borrowers.

Both forms are education-related and may involve the same student, but one concerns tuition and enrollment information while the other concerns interest on a student loan.

When 1098-T is the form to investigate

Review Form 1098-T when the reporting concerns a student’s qualified tuition payments, scholarships or grants, and related student-status information.

If 1098-T appears to match the transaction, open the current IRS instructions before you build the filing file. Then use the 1098-T CSV template as the controlled source layout, and run the final exported CSV through the free 1098-T validator. The validator checks local structure and formatting; it does not make the tax-law decision for you.

When 1098-E is the form to investigate

Review Form 1098-E when the reporting concerns student loan interest paid by a borrower.

If 1098-E is the closer match, keep its data separate from 1098-T. Use the 1098-E CSV template, validate the final file, and review the current IRS instructions before filing. Separate source files make it much easier to preserve the exact columns, box-level values, and form-specific fields required for each return.

Can both forms be relevant in the same year?

They can be, depending on the facts. In some comparisons, the two forms report opposite sides of one account or transaction; in others, they apply to entirely different payments. Do not choose a form merely because it has a similar name or because the same recipient appears in both data sets.

How to keep the software workflow clean

  1. Identify the reporting event and the party responsible for filing.
  2. Confirm the current IRS instructions for the form and tax year.
  3. Use the exact form-specific CSV or Excel layout rather than a generic “1099” spreadsheet.
  4. Keep 1098-T and 1098-E records in separate source files unless the software explicitly supports a controlled multi-form workflow.
  5. Validate the final CSV after the last spreadsheet save so automatic formatting changes are caught before IRIS.

IRS sources

This comparison is a navigation and preparation aid, not tax or legal advice. IRS forms, thresholds, exceptions, and filing rules can change. Use the current IRS instructions to make the final filing decision.