<p>I filed 3-22, and I was just able to use the IRS retrieval tool.</p>
<p>Last year, I had to wait weeks.</p>
<p>DD efile on 2/16 paid on 2/25 and as of today DRT still not avail for her :(</p>
<p>Filed and paid IRS on March 25th, still waiting to use it.
I am checking every other day.</p>
<p>For those of you checking, another member gave me this tip: instead of going through FAFSA to link to the retrieval tool, go here:</p>
<p><a href=“https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp[/url]”>https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp</a></p>
<p>Much less information to enter and when it show the return as being processed, then you should be able to go into FAFSA and use the DRT.</p>
<p>That link is for filers who are expecting a refund only, not for people who owed.
Thank you for posting it, entomom.</p>
<p>Actually, if you try and request a transcript at the following link and are successful you should be able to use the DRT:</p>
<p><a href=“https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof-tra/start.do[/url]”>https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof-tra/start.do</a> </p>
<p>I just don’t think it will happen until the end of April since my son owed money.</p>
<p>@Kdog044 I was able to use data retrieval tool after I sent the check with the money I had owed cleared. This was maybe a week ago.</p>
<p>@Kdog044 </p>
<p>Please see my posts on this thread. I called 2 schools and got one school to accept a signed copy of my 2012 tax return so they can process my son’s financial aid which was frozen until I could use the DRT which would probably be in May or June. I called this school since mid March and they would not give me this option until yesterday, the financial aid officer did not reply to my email but told me over the phone yesterday. I am trying to get the second school to do the same thing. We are panicked at this point because housing deposits and orientation fees, both which are non-refundable, have to be paid by May 1st. I feel like the financial aid departments were either overloaded or dragging their feet on sharing this info with parents/students.</p>
<p>Regarding posts #15 and #27 as examples, it’s my recollection from reading all these DRT threads that it seems most people reporting being able to use the DRT after owing money paid the old fashioned way, with a check. That was my son’s experience last year too even though the check was mailed three weeks after he mailed his return. He could use the DRT about 10 days after the check was mailed.</p>
<p>I’m not saying this is for certain but there is a general expectation that checks will be cashed promptly by the recipient so people get their cancelled checks back in a timely fashion. Perhaps the IRS handles payments by check differently than electronic payments or automatic withdrawals.</p>
<p>I filed my return on paper and am expecting a refund. Today (9 days after USPS recorded my certified mail as delivered) it is showing on the “where’s my refund” page as “received”. I assume I can’t use the DRT until it says “refund approved” (which would indicate that my return had been processed). But it’s some progress. 
I’m a parent of a returning student, so less panicky about the timeline. But still would like to get it all taken care of.</p>
<p>@mathmomvt, If you are getting a refund you shouldn’t have a problem. We were able to use the tool about two weeks after we efiled.</p>
<p>@annoyingdad, wouldn’t that be a kicker if your theory is correct and the ones who paid by check were able to use the tool. Anyone who had the funds drawn electronically able to do so?</p>
<p>I had it too easy. I filed my taxes electronically through Turbo Tax on Monday 4/1. Our small refund I had go to estimated taxes so our “balance” was 0. I filed the FAFSA on 4/3, it was processed today on 4/4. I was able to go in and use the data retrieval tool today, so that’s 3 days after filing.</p>
<p>Well if you ever are eligible for the Opportunity Tax Credit and file early you won’t be so lucky as they delayed those returns until mid February.</p>
<p>Hopefully it won’t be the case next year.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-To-Accept-Returns-Claiming-Education-Credits-by-Mid-February[/url]”>http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-To-Accept-Returns-Claiming-Education-Credits-by-Mid-February</a></p>
<p>^Yup, it was hurry up and wait for me this year due to the AOC. </p>
<p>And of course this had to be the year of both tax changes and early deadlines for me due a kid applying to professional school :(.</p>
<p>I scheduled my electronic funds withdrawal and cancelled it and sent a check on 2/26 which was posted by the IRS on 3/4. As of today which is a month later, I still cannot use the DRT.</p>
<p>So much for the check theory. ;)</p>
<p>Used Tax Act and filed on Sunday, March 24th.
Set up an electronic payment with the IRS.
Payment came out of checking account on March 26th. </p>
<p>Sunday, April 7th, was able to go in an use the IRS Data Retrival Tool for both FAFSAs.
So that is two weeks, but I did not check it every day, maybe every other day.</p>
<p>There must be something preventing some of these returns from being processed. The only unique things on my son’s return are self employment tax (for summer research job) and penalty for underpayment due to the income he earned in the research job where no federal taxes were taken out.</p>
<p>called IRS today. Rep from the processing dept.said they will not start processing the return with money owe until after may 13~ i mention that dd paid hers with direct debit already and that some of her other friends who files much later were all processed and was able to use DRT and they all use the same method that my dd use. (e-file/direct debit) what can cause some taxes delay and other get processed right away? Rep has no idea why but she agree to put me on hold so that she can process dd return since she file simple 1040EZ with no other credit claim. half an hours on hold and Rep return and only to let me know that she tried every possible way to process but IRS computer system has her taxes schedule to process on 05/13 already and program doesn’t allowed her to process it manually. Guess i just have to wait…</p>
<p>advicemom2016</p>
<p>I have the same situation but it is my return that is the problem and not my son’s. My son was able to use the DRT and I’m not. This is delaying his FAFSA from being processed. Since he is a freshman, we don’t know how it will affect his FA. Most of his friends have already received their FA and he has not.</p>
<p>Any upper classman parents who had this situation last year. Please share any input about late FA processing.</p>