<p>The IRS has announced that is delaying the start of the tax filing season yet again. They had planned to start accepting an processing returns on January 21, but have now delayed it until January 30th. That means that anyone hoping to file and then pull the information into their FAFSA in time to file FAFSA for Febrary 15th won't be able to do so. They are estimating refunds will be available 21 days after you file, so the first refunds are also not expected to hit bank accounts until late February.</p>
<p>Some will still not be able to file as of January 30. The IRS has provided a list of forms that will not be ready on their website:</p>
<p>probably the most likely to be a problem for many here will be
Form 4562 Depreciation and Amortization (Including Information on Listed Property) and
Form 5695 Residential Energy Credits</p>
<p>I know some here will also be impacted by
Form 8582 Passive Activity Loss Limitations</p>
<p>Turbotax posted on their site that the IRS is expecting a backlog of returns to process once they start accepting them so it will add maybe another three days.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I have a Feb 15 deadline for FAFSA & Profile but I have always entered the tax information to FAFSA myself. I didn’t see any delayed forms that pertain to me. The IRS delays may also result in a crush of FAFSA & CSS/Profile site usage around Feb 15. FAFSA doesn’t seem to have problems during peak days but CSS/Profile was slowed to a crawl a couple years ago in the two days leading up to midnight Feb 15.</p>
<p>If last year is any indication, yes - and our experience was that returns submitted the day after the IRS started processing ended up processing faster than those that went in the initial batches uploaded by them the first day. For those familiar with the IRS processes - modernized e-file went faster than those stuck in the “legacy” e-file system. Last year they started accepting returns around the 17th as I recal. 2 weeks more worth of returns is going to overload they system ( We complete probably 30% of our entire season of returns during those 2 weeks - I personally completed 89 returns during January last year, and I’m not a top producer).</p>
<p>Everyone will be in the same boat. I would be more concerned that the verification system is working properly. There were issues with it last year as it was the first year it was used.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t count on it being any better this year - the IRS will be busy dealing with the form changes, and then the backlog. I doubt the FAFSA verification system is high on their list of priorities.</p>
<p>So do y’all think notification of financial aid packages will be delayed (for freshmen applicants), or will financial aid offices just have to work a little harder to deal with all of the delayed numbers?</p>
<p>Verification may take longer, but aid packages for those who don’t need to verify shouldn’t take any longer than usual. Families should still be filing their FAFSA and CSS profile by the same deadlines, they just might not be doing so with verified information.</p>
<p>First time filer of all these FA forms. To clarify terminology: verification here refers to the IRS date retrieval system or something else, like submitting actual tax forms?</p>
<p>Also, if you have a FAFSA or CSS deadline of February 1, is it ok if they are submitted as 2012 “tax returns will be filed” as opposed to “have filed?” </p>
<p>We don’t have significant year to year change over 2011 returns that we used to estimate our 2012 numbers when doing first round submissions.</p>
<p>Does everyone have to go through “verification.” If not, is it generally low EFC that would be combed over b/c they are eligible for more federal dollars? Do they really need to ask for statements and returns if you’re not getting much more than unsubsidized Stafford or eligible for parent plus loans?</p>
<p>Filing FAFSA with will file counts as meeting the deadline.</p>
<p>Using the retrieval counted as verification for us. No extra forms to FAFSA only school.</p>
<p>The percentage of forms verified is ever increasing. Plenty of full pay people are verified. Some schools verify everyone.</p>
<p>Verification of CSS is more involved. Each school will tell you what docs they want sent to themselves or to IDOC, generally copies of tax forms and W2s.</p>
<p>Your aid won’t be finalized and can change until everything is verified.</p>
<p>As another poster said, I think you’ll be fine as long as you submit the application as “will file.” That’s definitely meeting the deadline, and you can always go back and add more information once it comes in. </p>
<p>That’s what I’ve done. I fill out as much as I can on January first, recheck it all around now, and then enter my parents’ tax information as soon as it comes in. My school even emailed me last year and said that some of my numbers were off. (Mis-typed an amount on one column.) Most schools SHOULD understand since it’s completely out of your hands with this particular situation. </p>
<p>So do y’all think notification of financial aid packages will be delayed (for freshmen applicants), or will financial aid offices just have to work a little harder to deal with all of the delayed numbers?</p>
<hr>
<p>I can say with certainty that they are already working as hard as they can - so delays in packaging students selected for verification (or all students, at schools that verify 100%) may well occur. As always, though, the finaid folks will do their best. :)</p>
<p>What is requested as a result of being selected varies from school to school, and from student to student. Verification is being streamlined from the federal end to being “targeted” to particular things (income, family size, etc) - but schools may choose to request other items to be verified. If you are selected for verification, make sure to read the request for info carefully.</p>
<p>I suspect it might slow down the process for final packages for ED and EA students, since it will take longer to be verified, but many will be able to do so by updating their FAFSA and pulling in the verified numbers. This will probably be the case for Rolling Admissions schools also.</p>
<p>For RD applicants, I don’t think it will be as much of an issue, because the aid packages won’t be sent until acceptances go out, and hopefully everything will be up and running smoothly by the time the files are passed along to them.</p>
<p>One the problems last year was that if you owed money, filed your taxes early, but scheduled the money to be (logically) paid on April 15, you couldn’t verify until several weeks after the IRS took the money. And once the payment was scheduled, the date couldn’t be changed.</p>
<p>“Does everyone have to go through “verification.” If not, is it generally low EFC that would be combed over b/c they are eligible for more federal dollars? Do they really need to ask for statements and returns if you’re not getting much more than unsubsidized Stafford or eligible for parent plus loans?”</p>
<ol>
<li>Statistically, Fasfa requires verifications (“verfs”) on about 30% of the apps and this year it’s expected to be higher due to the recent elimination of 26 app questions. The feds requested a streamline version of the app to make eligibility simpler but it will no doubt result in more verifs due to missing info.</li>
<li>It appears that really low incomes, change from previous year and/or failure to use IRS retrieval tool is a flag for verf.</li>
<li>Fasfa flags for verfs, but it is the school - not the feds that will review or verify the parents’ or student’s documentation. Accordingly, the sum of the Fed Grant notwithstanding, it is the school that will use the Fasfa EFC code to determine whether any “additional” aid will be awarded. Consequently, the Fasfa app is critical for calculation of any and all aid need-based in nature, as each school awards its own gift aid or scholarship monies.</li>
</ol>