Hi so I’m doing the 2017-2018 Fafsa which they moved to October 1st. They’re currently letting us use our 2015 tax returns in order to estimate, therefor I have to use the data retrieval tool. I have put in my mother’s information exactly how it looks on her package. I have it right in front of me but it keeps saying “The information you entered does not match the IRS records”. I’m a returning college student so I used the data retrieval tool last year and it worked fine with the 2015 tax return package. I really don’t understand what’s going on. Is anyone having the same problems?
Are you one the 2016-17 form or the 2017-18 form?
Do you have her correct FSA ID? Are you entering the info the same as on the FSA ID?
Even if you enter it incorrectly, that’s the purpose of the DRT, to ‘true up’ the information. It looks like it is not the tax info that is incorrect, but something else - her name? SSN? FSA ID? I’d start again and enter it all again. It may just be an inverted number or some letters that you can’t see because you’re staring at it.
I am on the 2017-2018 form. Yes I have her correct FSA ID. I even went on her account to make sure the address matched up as well. Should I just start completely over instead of transferring all of my information over since I am a returning person?
The information from the 2015 tax return is not for estimating – that is the actual information that you will use to complete the 2017-2018 FAFSA. 2016 information will not be used until the 2018-2019 FAFSA.
Okay thanks. But still for some reason it’s not letting me use my mother’s 2015 tax return on the data retrieval tool. It worked fine last year, I don’t understand why it’s not working this year.
I am the parent and I had the same issue. I just skipped the DRT and typed the info in straight from my return. It took less than 5 minutes. Now, I just have to open a FAFSA for S17 and import it all in for him.
You can do this, but the school may then request a tax transcript.
OP, here’s another thought. Are you putting in her address correctly? Is there something funny like a street name that has saint in the name and you are using St. instead of Saint (or whatever is correct for the street). I’m grasping at straws–especially since you had success last year-- but it’s something.
As a returning student do you really have to do this on Oct 1st?
They might, but I was already fafsa audited years ago and it turned out fine, so maybe they will just skip me this time.
Another suggestion for the OP - I initially listed myself as parent 1 and H as parent 2 and then I remembered that on our tax returns, he is listed first because his last name is alphabetically before mine. Perhaps that could be the issue?
you must fill out the information on the DRT exactly how it is on your tax return
@techmom99 , if your husband’s name is listed first, then his name is what they are looking for
It wouldn’t let me use the DRT the first time through either. I saved my file, logged out, then signed back on and tried again. It took me a couple tries for it to go through, but eventually it did.
I realized that but he can’t be bothered to do the FAFSA and he is listed as parent 1 for that reason, but it was easier to do it by hand than start over. I’m probably not getting any money anyway but it seems as if some of the merit scholarships S17 will apply for require the FAFSA.
I agree with checking the address on the tax return. Hopefully it will work for you.
Using the DRT will “verify” the info, so if possible you should use it.
I finish the FAFSA for my S(current junior) and D (applying freshman). Have no issue in importing from DRT tool. One thing i observe after importing they want to provide wages info for each Parent. We file Married joint and Wife dont work but wife filing the FAFSA as a Parent.(Parent2). I dont recall they ask us last year to show each income.
@dadfor2014 Yes, they ask that for two parents filing jointly, since it is not apparent from the tax return who made how much.
The FAFSA formula calculates soc sec taxes paid from “income from working” and also gives an extra deduction called employment expense allowance if both parents are working.
Don’t hold your breath that this will happen. My older kid was selected for verification ALL four years…and he never received a dime of need based aid. We “came out fine” every year after having sent a lot of documents to the college.
PLUS…most schools now REQUIRE that either you link to the IRS DRT OR provide a tax transcript…there is no choice if this is a requirement!