Tuition Fee-paid instalments but can claim as per total?

[sadie]

If I paid tuition fees of 2.5k for academic year 2011 - but paid half at end of 2011 and the other half in 2012 - how will that work for tax credits based on the following from the Revenue leaflet. Can I just claim it as if it was paid all in the same year? So if there was more relief available in 2011 and the course started then, I could claim it for that year???

"Where fees are paid in instalments and any such amounts are paid in a tax year following the year in which the academic year of the approved course commenced, then the relief for fees relating to that academic year may be granted either -

in the tax year during which the academic year of the approved course commenced;
or
the tax year in which the instalment was paid.
However, relief will only be granted in respect of amounts actually paid and subject to the maximum relief available in that academic year."

 

[sadie]

Anyone have an answer to this?
Can I claim for the full tuition fee in the year the course commenced or only for the actual instalment amount paid in that year (in which case the tax relief would be much less as first 1k is discounted).

 

[sadie]

OK I rang Revenue and they said if you have paid instalments you can still claim for that total payment for that academic year, but not for example claim for 2 academic years of payments in the one year (in the event of a 2 year course for example).