Thank you for taking the time to answer this- I am a student who will be graduation this year and mother and I had the same question when filling out my FAFSA information (taxes). So my father is incarcerated and will not be out for awhile (10 years). He does not make any income in prison, but he did before he left. My mother filed taxes in her and his name. Does she put that amount of taxes she got for both of them or just hers? She is the only one receiving income. Thank You!
If she’s still married to your father, you will put in the joint tax return data. If he had income in 2016, the FAFSA will count it. However, because your dad will not have any chance of holding a job in the next 10 years, you should ask for a review from your colleges to exclude your dad’s income. This will have to be done with the financial aid office of each school where you are applying for financial aid, as the FAFSA doesn’t have a space to explain special circumstances.
Are they planning on staying married? If not, then you live with your mother alone and she can just use her income of 2016, but if they filed jointly she’ll have to sort out what was her income and what was his (not hard usually, just use the W2s). You cannot use the DRT if you do it that way.