FAFSA/Link to IRS email HELP

[Dr.Kat]

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Hi lovely peeps,

So my FAFSA has been successfully processed, but I received an email about 10 days ago saying "Now is the time to transfer your IRS tax information directly into your FAFSA. This takes most people less than 10 minutes, and it may reduce the amount of paperwork that must be provided to your school."

I followed the steps and it led me to the page I skipped on purpose when filling out my FAFSA. Is linking to the IRS necessary/mandatory? I don't really even know what it means. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks!

-Dr. Kat

 

[Dream_big]

You're referring to the IRS Data Retrieval tool on the form right? Linking your IRS tax info is the easiest way to input all your tax information accurately. Have you already filed your taxes this year? If so, kudos because I'm nowhere near ready. If not, you're going to have to use last year's tax info temporarily. You can always go back into the form to update your information.

To answer your question directly, it is not mandatory but it is the best way to input accurate tax info without the IRS knocking on your door 😉 and it's easy!

 

[Dream_big]

Oh and you can only use this tool if you've already filed your income tax returns this year

 

[Dr.Kat]

Oh and you can only use this tool if you've already filed your income tax returns this year

Income taxes from 2016, correct? So, I should just wait to do the direct link to IRS until I fill out my 2016 taxes?? I hate all this stuff.

And thanks for the responses so far, very helpful!

 

[Dream_big]

Income taxes from 2016, correct? So, I should just wait to do the direct link to IRS until I fill out my 2016 taxes?? I hate all this stuff.

And thanks for the responses so far, very helpful!

Yes from 2016. And yes that would be the best thing to do imo. Glad to help!

 

[Dr.Kat]

Yes from 2016. And yes that would be the best thing to do imo. Glad to help!

Ok cool!!!! Thank you fellow cat!

 

[kraskadva]

Income taxes from 2016, correct? So, I should just wait to do the direct link to IRS until I fill out my 2016 taxes?? I hate all this stuff.

And thanks for the responses so far, very helpful!

Yes from 2016. And yes that would be the best thing to do imo. Glad to help!

NO. Not 2016. The FAFSA switched to prior-prior year reporting this summer, so you should be entering 2015 data.
The link to the IRS will pull data from your 2015 tax returns and input the correct numbers without you having to go look them up OP. So just click it and be done in 10 seconds, instead of overthinking it.

 

[Dream_big]

NO. Not 2016. The FAFSA switched to prior-prior year reporting this summer, so you should be entering 2015 data.
The link to the IRS will pull data from your 2015 tax returns and input the correct numbers without you having to go look them up OP. So just click it and be done in 10 seconds, instead of overthinking it.

Ah I wasn't aware of the change. Thanks

 

[Dr.Kat]

NO. Not 2016. The FAFSA switched to prior-prior year reporting this summer, so you should be entering 2015 data.
The link to the IRS will pull data from your 2015 tax returns and input the correct numbers without you having to go look them up OP. So just click it and be done in 10 seconds, instead of overthinking it.

Ok, I'm not overthinking it, it's just when I go to click it, it asks for my parent's "FSA ID" and password. My parents don't have one. I'm so confused.

 

[kraskadva]

Ok, I'm not overthinking it, it's just when I go to click it, it asks for my parent's "FSA ID" and password. My parents don't have one. I'm so confused.

Were you entering your parent's info in FAFSA to start with? You can take that out. For most schools now you don't have to (since you're an independent student anyway in med school) or you could add it in later if a school wants it.
And did you file your own tax returns last year? It sounds like FAFSA is trying to access your parent's returns instead of yours, so the way to redirect it would be to take out your parent's info and just have yours, then (assuming you filed a 2015 tax return) it should pull yours up and stop asking about your parent's FSA ID (which they would have to create for you to pull up their info).
If you didn't file and you're still a dependent, I think there's an option to mark that, IIRC, but beyond that I wouldn't know, as I've been independent for over a decade, so have forgotten how that part of FAFSA works.

 

[Dr.Kat]

Were you entering your parent's info in FAFSA to start with? You can take that out. For most schools now you don't have to (since you're an independent student anyway in med school) or you could add it in later if a school wants it.
And did you file your own tax returns last year? It sounds like FAFSA is trying to access your parent's returns instead of yours, so the way to redirect it would be to take out your parent's info and just have yours, then (assuming you filed a 2015 tax return) it should pull yours up and stop asking about your parent's FSA ID (which they would have to create for you to pull up their info).
If you didn't file and you're still a dependent, I think there's an option to mark that, IIRC, but beyond that I wouldn't know, as I've been independent for over a decade, so have forgotten how that part of FAFSA works.

oh ok, this makes a lot of sense. I was accepted to a school that told us to use our parents' info even if we're independent. I know you just said most schools are changing that now and you don't have to, but just cuz that one school told us to, I am haha. I'm gonna leave my FAFSA as is (I manually input both my and my parents 2015 tax info) without doing this direct link thing and just answer any questions the gov. has for me in the future. In your experience, manually inputting it is OK, right??

Thanks so much for all the help!

 

[kraskadva]

oh ok, this makes a lot of sense. I was accepted to a school that told us to use our parents' info even if we're independent. I know you just said most schools are changing that now and you don't have to, but just cuz that one school told us to, I am haha. I'm gonna leave my FAFSA as is (I manually input both my and my parents 2015 tax info) without doing this direct link thing and just answer any questions the gov. has for me in the future. In your experience, manually inputting it is OK, right??

Thanks so much for all the help!

If the school says they want parental info, then yes you have to include it.
Yeah, manually inputting is fine, so long as the numbers match up with what the IRS has. If you're getting numbers off the actual returns, then you're fine.

For the future though, have your parents make a FSA ID, and then you can just link to their IRS data without any issues. That link out is actually super helpful, fwiw.

 

[Dr.Kat]

If the school says they want parental info, then yes you have to include it.
Yeah, manually inputting is fine, so long as the numbers match up with what the IRS has. If you're getting numbers off the actual returns, then you're fine.

For the future though, have your parents make a FSA ID, and then you can just link to their IRS data without any issues. That link out is actually super helpful, fwiw.

OK, yes I used the actual return paperwork to fill it out. Thanks again 🙂🙂🙂