I am a U.S citizen and I live with my mother who is undocumented, she does not file taxes.Technically she says she is self employed. I think she makes enough money to claim non-filer but I am unsure. I haven’t been in contact with my father since birth and we are not currently living with anyone else that works. Any help on what I should input for the CSS/FAFSA?
She needs to file her 2015 tax return as soon as possible.
Your mother can file her federal income tax with an ITIN. Many undocumented people do their taxes that way: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/general-itin-information
There are instructions at the FAFSA website for printing the paper forms that your mom will need to mail in with her signature.
Do you mean she doesn’t make enough to require filing? For FAFSA, she can complete the non-filer statement if that is her situation (isn’t required to file because she makes under the amount where she’d owe taxes). However, you also said she’s self employed so is probably required to file a return and pay self employment taxes.
Is there a community help agency near you or a church (Catholic Charities)? They often can give advice on how to complete the tax forms.
If you are going to fill out the CSS, you are going to have to deal with your mother’s income and tax situation, and you are probably going to have to file for a non-custodial parent waiver with each college you are interested in.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-you-by-volunteers
check for a VITA site near you, it’s free
How much does she earn per year?
Also, you need to be prepared to explain how you pay your living expenses…housing, food, utilities, health insurance, clothing…if NO ONE is working.
You will likely be selected for verification because the school will want to know where your support is coming from.