<p>So I see that I have do this IDOC thing.
Some of my colleges, like Wake Forest, need it. </p>
<p>What exactly is this?
Do my parents need to file their taxes before the send this thing to college board on March 1st?</p>
<p>In simple terms - IDOC is a scanning service. You send your tax return to them - and they make the scan available to the colleges that subscribe. So - yes - your parents need to do their 2011 1040 asap - and then you print out the IDOC covers sheet - follow the instructions carefully - and mail the tax return to them. You also need to copy W-2 forms - one per page. If you file a 2011 tax return - include that as well. Otherwise there is a nonfiler form. This service is very specific - fill out the cover sheet carefully - follow their copying instructions and so forth. Not complicated - you are just essentially mailing them a signed copy of the tax return - just watch the details.</p>