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Tax Transcript Request

Every year the Department of Education decides which items must be verified from your FAFSA during the Verification Process. You may be asked to provide proof of completing high school (copy of diploma, high school transcript that includes your graduation date, copy of your GED, etc.), re-sign the Statement of Educational Purpose, and provide a valid government issued photo I.D. (Driver’s License, State-issued I.D., Passport, etc.). The Statement of Educational Purpose must be signed in front of school personnel who will ask for your I.D. and copy it for your file. You may also present I.D. to a Notary Public and complete the “Notary Public” version of the form which can then be sent via postal mail only to the main address of the school along with a copy of your valid I.D. Note: An expired I.D. is not a valid I.D.

You may also get selected for the standard verification for which the school must verify things like gross income, untaxed income, household members, number in college, receipt of food stamps, paid child support, and other items as determined by the Department of Education.

The simplest way to provide verification of income items is to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool within the FAFSA form. If you originally estimated your income and have since filed your 2013 taxes electronically at least a week ago, you may be able to update your income by simply pulling in your tax information through the FAFSA.

Possible Required Verification Documents

You will have received a letter from us about requested documents. Read your letter carefully! Not everyone will be required to send the same documents.

1. Dependent Students’ (as defined by the Department of Education and FAFSA) answers may have to provide:

  • 2014-2015 Dependent Student Verification Worksheet
  • 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript for student who filed a Federal Tax Return and did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in FAFSA 
  • If your parents did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in FAFSA, please provide a 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript for parent/s who filed a Federal Tax Return. If your parents filed separately but live together, you will need to provide a copy of both tax return transcripts.

2. Independent Students’ (as defined by the Department of Education and FAFSA) answers may have to provide:

  • 2014-2015 Independent Student Verification Worksheet
  • 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript for student who filed a Federal Tax Return and did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in FAFSA
  • 2013 IRS Tax Return Transcript for spouse if married and filed separately

    If you are married and filed separately, you will not be able to use the Data Retrieval Tool in FAFSA and will have to provide the Tax Return Transcript. Schools are no longer able to accept Federal Income Tax Returns for Verification except for special circumstances (e.g. Identity Theft).

If you are selected for Verification, you have two options:

1. Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that is part of the FAFSA on the web:

  • Go to www.fafsa.gov and log into the student’s record.
  • Select “Make FAFSA Corrections.”
  • Then, go to the Financial Information Section of the form. Follow the instructions to determine if you (and/or your parents, if applicable) are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer IRS income tax information into the student’s FAFSA.

OR

2. Request an IRS Tax Return Transcript.

  • At www.irs.gov use the Get Your Transcript Now option to download a copy of your transcript immediately. 
  • By phone: 800-908-9946 
  • Go to www.irs.gov and click on the “Order a Return or Account Transcript” link.
  • Be sure to order the “IRS Tax Return Transcript” and NOT the “IRS Tax Account Transcript.”
  • You will need to use your Social Security Number, Date of Birth, and address on file with the IRS.
  • Complete a 4506T paper request at www.irs.gov. Under Forms and Pubs, click “4506-T.”