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Form 8818 (Rev. 12-2007) Page 2
General Instructions Specific Instructions
Purpose of Form Note. Before you cash your series EE bonds, separate
If you cashed series EE or series I U.S. savings bonds the bonds issued after 1989 from the bonds issued
that were issued after 1989 and you paid qualified before 1990.
higher education expenses during the year, you may
Line 1
be able to exclude from income part or all the interest
on those bonds. For each paper series EE bond issued after 1989, enter
Use Form 8818 to keep a record of the post-1989 the correct information for columns (a), (b), and (c) of
series EE and I bonds you cash. You will need the line 1.
information on this form to complete Form 8815,
Exclusion of Interest From Series EE and I U.S. Line 4
Savings Bonds Issued After 1989. Form 8815 is used For each series I bond and electronic series EE bond
to figure the amount of interest you can exclude from issued after 1989, enter the correct information for
your income when you file your income tax return. The columns (a), (b), and (c) of line 4. Include post-1989
instructions for your tax return will tell you how to take series EE bonds converted from paper to electronic
the exclusion. bonds. Do not include them in Part I.
Use a separate Form 8818 each time you cash
series EE or series I bonds issued after 1989. If you Line 8
choose not to use Form 8818 but intend to exclude You may be able to exclude this interest from your
the interest from your income, you should keep records income. See Form 8815 for details.
that include the information asked for on this form. Note. Keep Form 8818 for your records. Do not send it
Bonds That Qualify for Exclusion to the IRS.
To qualify for the exclusion, the bonds must have been
issued after 1989 in your name, or, if you are married, Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. Use of this form is
they may be issued in your name and your spouse’s optional. It is provided to help you figure your tax
name. It does not matter who bought the bonds. Also, liability.
you must have been age 24 or older before the bonds You are not required to provide the information
were issued. A bond bought by a parent and issued in requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork
the name of his or her child who is under age 24 will Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB
not qualify for the exclusion by the parent or the child. control number. Books or records relating to a form or
Generally, the interest on the bond will be taxed at the its instructions must be retained as long as their
child’s rate once the child reaches age 18. Prior to contents may become material in the administration of
reaching age 18, the interest may be taxed at the any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and
parent’s or the child’s rate depending on the total return information are confidential, as required by
amount of the child’s investment income (for example, Internal Revenue Code section 6103.
interest and dividends).
The average time and expenses required to
Note. Interest on U.S. savings bonds is exempt from complete and file this form will vary depending on
state and local income taxes. individual circumstances. For the estimated averages,
see the instructions for your income tax return.
Qualified Higher Education Expenses
If you have suggestions for making this form simpler,
Qualified higher education expenses include tuition we would be happy to hear from you. See the
and fees, but not room and board, required for the instructions for your income tax return.
enrollment or attendance at a college, university, or
vocational school. Qualified expenses also include
contributions to a qualified tuition program or to a
Coverdell education savings account. The expenses
must be for you, your spouse, or your dependent.
Additional Information
For more details about the exclusion, including limits
that apply to the amount you may exclude, see
Pub. 550, Investment Income and Expenses, or
Pub. 970, Tax Benefits for Education.
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