Student Information:

Filing Status

1. For this next section, you will want to refer to your tax form for 2019 (IRS 1040) IF YOU COMPLETED IT FOR 2019.

2. Select one of the choices regarding whether or not you have filed taxes for 2019.

It is very common for students to select "Not going to file" since many students may not yet be filing taxes.

3. If you select, "Already completed" you will see two questions appear.

4. The first question will ask about the type of income tax return filed. The most common answer is, "IRS 1040". This should also be at the top of your tax form.

6. You MIGHT see a box for the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If you click, "Link to IRS", you will be taken to an IRS website where you will enter in your address and other information. If it can find your tax information, it will AUTOMATICALLY add it to your FAFSA which saves you time.

7. If you don't get this option or choose not to connect with the IRS, click "Next"

There are a few IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES to using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool:

  • It makes completing the FAFSA quicker and easier because you don't have to hand-enter the information from your tax forms

  • It makes it VERY UNLIKELY that you will later be selected for "Verification," which involves filling out additional forms and providing a copy of your tax transcript to your college.

For the rest of these steps, we will assume that the IRS data retrieval tool was not used and will show how to complete the FAFSA without it. However, if you DO use the IRS data retrieval tool, you will see a message under many questions that says, "Transferred from the IRS"

Didn't File 2019 Taxes? Click Here

Filed 2019 Taxes? Click Here