I am currently filling out my FAFSA and am pretty lost as to how to report my parent’s taxes. They are undocumented, but my dad has been filing taxes for several years now. There is a social security number on the tax forms but he says that it is fake. I do not want to report information that could incriminate me or my parents on the FAFSA. I put in all zeros for my dad’s SS but then it says that I cannot choose the 1040 tax form, that my parent’s must have filled out a foreign tax return (which they didn’t). What do I do?
Uhh that “fake” social security number can’t be random, it must be someone else’s, even if your parents didn’t intend it that way. Please don’t post incriminating stuff on a public forum…The only way to proceed with this is with legal advise.
That doesn’t make any sense. What kind of work do they do? Do they get a W-2 or a 1099 at the end of the year? Those are the forms that report income received from employers. The employer reports your parents’ income to the IRS. It has to have your parents’ ss numbers, and the ss number on the 1040 has to match. If they are “off-the-books” workers, I still don’t think a fake number would get by the IRS.
The help you need is likely beyond the scope of this forum as we are just laymen not tax specialists for the most part. If your father is using an illegal SSN, I suppose he did it to give to the employer as the employer could not legally hire him without it. Is he filing taxes with that SSN (how would his name match) or does he use an ITIN, which is what the IRS uses for people not qualified to get a SSN? The IRS is happy to take taxes with an ITIN and does not investigate or turn you over to immigration if you pay taxes on illegal income. If he does that, then call the FAFSA hotline and ask how to file with a parent who has an ITIN.
I think it is super late to be thinking this through, hope you can take the steps necessary in time.
This looks like a local news report, but it is recent. Can’t speak to the veracity, but it supports the OP’s contention that the IRS hasn’t been flagging their parent’s returns:
That said, it is a felony to misrepresent yourself on a W9 form, which the OP’s parents have already done.
Look before everyone jumps all over this kid, he’s simply asking what he should do. He’s not the parent and not the person who is here illegally (and – showing my liberal side here – that parent may have felt that he had no choice but to get into the country in this method).
Then the issue becomes how is the best way to enter college. OP, I assume you were born in the States and have regular documentation that you’ve used for high school, drivers’ license, etc. right?
I didn’t jump all over her and I did give a suggestion what to do: file taxes with an ITIN which the IRS is happy to take and doesn’t turn over to immigration or criminal authorities. Call FAFSA and ask how to file with parents who file taxes with ITIN. That is my non-professional idea where to start.
Good point about the student: are you a citizen or green card holder @taniatrejo3?
How much did your parents earn last year?
I am a citizen.
They earned around $30,000.
Perhaps the # is an ITIN? Is that possible?
It might be an ITIN. He has been filing taxes for a long time. The number starts with a 9, which is what an ITIN number should start with.
It is probably an ITIN. They are issued for this purpose (sort of), so just ask your dad if it is an ITIN. If so, it’s all on the up and up.
Would the dad use the word, “fake,” if it was a legit ITIN?
Tania…
does your dad put his name on the taxes he files? or does he put someone else’s name? Or does someone else file the taxes for him?
If it starts with a 9, I’m guessing it’s an ITIN. I’ve done a lot of support/volunteer work with undoc’d families, and the ITIN is pretty common. Also, bear in mind that English language fluency might not be perfect here - I’ve heard many people (primarily native Spanish speakers) use “fake SSN” to describe the ITIN, simply because it’s not a “real” SSN. In that context, it actually makes sense.
There are resources out there for students in your position, @taniatrejo3 - as well as for undoc’d kids who are applying to schools that do offer them financial aid. Google should help you, or PM me and I can try to dig out some of the links. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve needed to find them, but I know they’re out there.
Good point, but could just be Language differences. An ITIN may be what he meant, not a “real SSN”. It’s worth asking him!
If it is an ITIN, then you need to use 000-00-0000 for the SSN on the FAFSA. Since your dad would have to mail in a request for a PIN to file the FAFSA electronically, it might be faster for the two of you to just do it on paper this year: https://fafsa.ed.gov/options.htm
What if it’s not an ITIN? Wouldn’t he still use 000-00-0000 ?
If it’s not an ITIN, and he’s just been using someone’s SSN that either he obtained or his employer obtained, would he just write in his income, but it wouldn’t be verifiable?
Good question! I have no idea what a student would need to do if the parent had been filing taxes with another person’s SSN. I expect it could be a huge mess.
Student would file the FAFSA on-line and sign using his FAFSA ID. In the SSN field they would put in all 0000s for the dad’s SSN. They would have to print out a copy of the signature page for dad to sign, and then mail the signature page to the federal processor. He will get a SAR after this is done