Help! IDOC Ignoramus!

<p>I am so frustrated with this entire process! I was going through the IDOC cover sheet filling in the ovals for the appropriate forms we are submitting with our tax return. I thought I understood the instructions and was planning on not sending to IDOC the forms which are not listed on the cover sheet (such as Form 6251 - Alt. Minimum Tax). However, then I got down to the ovals corresponding to "Other U.S. tax forms". This is somewhat ambiguous to me. Technically don't all forms included with our tax return, but not listed specifically on the IDOC cover sheet qualify as "other U.S. tax forms"? But if that's the case I would just need to send a copy of everything I am sending to the IRS.
What do you advise?</p>

<p>If you owed Alt. Minimum Tax and filed form 6251 with your 2009 Income tax forms, then include it on the IDOC. If you didn’t owe that tax, and didn’t file the form, then don’t include it, and don’t fill in oval. Basically, any form you send to the IRS, you need to include on the IDOC.</p>

<p>One would think that a common higher ed financial aid application would simply life greatly.</p>

<p>But that’s what’s confusing to me - there is no oval for 6251; therefore I am inclined to fill in the oval for “Other U.S. tax forms”, but if that’s the case it just seems like I should send my entire tax return, so why don’t they just say that?</p>

<p>need Advice </p>

<p>I did the same as you. But then thought that they will want to see how we came up with our numbers so I sent them everything. If some of those things confuse them, then so be it. It’s their own fault for making it more complicated then it should be.</p>

<p>I would just check “other US tax forms” and send them your entire tax return.</p>

<p>I don’t THINK I sent mine. I already can’t remember. Because someone on here said don’t send anything they didn’t ask for. And they do ask for “schedules”, but not statements. And the Alt Tax form isn’t a schedule, right? I have nothing in front of me. </p>

<p>Also, I had to send the forms DIRECTLY to another school (Columbia), and I THINK they are the ones who told me to “only send page 1 and 2 of federal form”. </p>

<p>Your alternative minimum tax is listed on the first 2 pages of the 1040, so I’m hoping that covers it, because I really think I didn’t send it - because of the advice I got on CC. I had a HUGE stack of everything…thought they’d sort it and take what they wanted. I’d rather send everything than not get aid because they were missing a paper. But…that was not the advice I got. I DID find that wording somewhere at IDOC (don’t send schedules), or at Columbia…but I forget which.</p>

<p>It’ll be fine. If they want something you didn’t send, they’ll ask. Not sending stuff that wasn’t asked for is the right advice. In this thread, to me it just wasn’t clear. But then, I don’t know anything about the Alt Tax and whether it uses a schedule or a statement.</p>

<p>I figured the “other” was to be checked and any form I had filed not specifically noted on their list should be included.
In our case, I included the Charitable Deduction Forum, Schedule M (Make Work Credit) and the Tuition Tax Credit…all three a part of our Federal return.</p>

<p>All forms should be included-- any not noted fall under “other”.</p>

<p>I went the other way and did not include Schedule M or Form 8863. The totals show up on the 1040 and if the institution really needs to see the calculation, I’m confident they’ll ask and not just toss our app in the circular file.</p>

<p>I also did not send any 1099s to the IDOC, although one of my son’s other colleges (not through IDOC) specifically asked for 1099s with signed copies of the parent and student tax returns.</p>