Important
- All IRS Tax forms are mailed by January 31. If you don't receive anything by February 10 or need an additional copy, call 1-800-STUDENT.
- IRS Form 1098-E and Interest Paid Letters will also be available in the Account Center.
- Email is not a secure way to deliver documents with sensitive information. To protect your information, we cannot email these documents.
The information below outlines interest payment reporting and the tax information you should expect to receive for your Discover® student loans. You may receive additional tax documents if you have other accounts with Discover (e.g., online banking, credit cards, home loans, and personal loans).
Select your loan type from the list below to learn more about the tax information you will receive.
| Document | Details | Who receives |
|---|---|---|
| Loans certified by December 31: | ||
| Interest Paid Letter IRS Form 1098-E |
Amount of interest paid during the year on eligible student loans that you have certified meet the definition of a qualified education loan, as defined by the IRS. | Primary Borrower |
| Loans NOT certified by December 31: | ||
| Interest Paid Letter | Amount of interest paid during the year on eligible student loans regardless of whether you have certified that they meet the definition of qualified education loan, as defined by the IRS. |
Primary Borrower |
| Document | Details | Who receives |
|---|---|---|
| Loans solely used to pay for qualified higher education expenses for a dependent or spouse: | ||
| Interest Paid Letter IRS Form 1098-E |
Amount of interest paid during the year on eligible student loans that you have certified meet the definition of a qualified education loan, as defined by the IRS. |
Primary Borrower |
| Loans NOT solely used to pay for qualified higher education expenses for a dependent or a spouse: | ||
| Transaction History | Please call 1-800-STUDENT to request a copy. |
Primary Borrower |
| Document | Details | Who receives |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction History | Interest paid on bar exam loans is not included on IRS Form 1098-E or the Interest Paid Letter. Please call 1-800-STUDENT to request a copy. |
Primary Borrower or Cosigner |
| Document | Details | Who receives |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction History | Interest paid on residency loans is not included on IRS Form 1098-E or the Interest Paid Letter. Interest paid on loans for some residency programs may be eligible for a tax deduction based on the program offered by the school. Check with your tax advisor to determine eligibility of the program offered by the school. If you have qualifying residency loans, we will provide a Transaction History upon request for a given tax year to help you determine the amount of interest paid. Please call 1-800-STUDENT to request a copy. |
Primary Borrower or Cosigner |
| Document | Details | Who receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cosigner Interest Paid Letter Transaction History |
We can send you a letter reflecting the interest paid for tax years 2021 to the current tax year. For tax years prior to 2021, we can send you a Transaction History associated with the loan you have cosigned. Please call 1-800-STUDENT to request either document. |
Cosigner |
How primary borrowers receive IRS Form 1098-E
To receive IRS Form 1098-E, you must certify that the loan proceeds were used solely to pay for qualified higher education expenses at an eligible educational institution. Completing and signing IRS Form W-9S acts as your certification. You should not complete this form if the loan was not used solely to pay qualified higher education expenses.
Primary borrowers can log in to their Account Center to certify or review whether their loans have been certified.
Additional tax forms provided to customers
Customers may receive these additional tax forms if we made certain types of payments to them.
IRS Form 1099-INT
We mail IRS Form 1099-INT to report interest payments we made to you.
IRS Form 1099-MISC
We mail IRS Form 1099-MISC to report other income payments we made to you. The list below describes some payments that may appear on a Form 1099-MISC.
| Type of credit or payment | Description |
|---|---|
| Courtesy Credit | Courtesy credits are issued to compensate a customer for activities that may have affected the account or customer experience. They are offered in different forms such as a credit to the account or check. |
| High School Reward for Good Grades | A cash reward for good grades |
| Refer-a-Friend | A cash reward for referring a friend that originates a student loan |
| Graduation Reward and Reward for Good Grades | A portion of the reward may be reported as income if you paid off your loan early |
More questions?
Log in to your Account Center to access Frequently Asked Questions.
We are unable to provide tax advice. Please see IRS Publication 970 or ask a tax professional if you need assistance.
