<p>By a circuitous route I discovered that a college where D has been accepted requires the use of the IRS retrieval tool, although this is not mentioned anywhere on the school’s website, so her aid application is held up. This drove me to calling the IRS and enduring the 15 minutes of hold time to get to a live person and ask them about our missing refund (“Where’s my refund” says we should have had it two weeks ago) and inability to use the FAFSA tool. Turns out our return has been pulled for review. I have no idea why, so now we’re in income tax limbo and FAFSA limbo, sigh.</p>
<p>Still no luck for my son with the Data Retrieval or Tax Transcript. Filed and accepted on Feb 13, check sent in for taxes that was cashed on Feb 22. Ridiculous. I thought computers and automation would make things easier. No, apparently not.</p>
<p>I finally talked to someone at FAFSA about my problems using the IRS data retrieval. First bad sign was that I talked to three people and NONE of them had heard of the IRS data retrieval tool. After getting one of them to talk to a supervisor, they decided my problem was my browser. I had already tried four different browsers on three different computers, but I agreed to try their suggestions. Still no luck. When I called back they insisted I needed to clear my cache. Did that. Still no luck and I have tried on two more computers using every browser I can come up with. My school is one that insists we use the IRS transfer, so I have ordered a tax transcript. But WHAT A PAIN THIS ALL IS!!!</p>
<p>Hi everyone, I am tearing my hair out over this! My return was accepted by the IRS on February 2nd. Can’t use the retrieval, can’t order a transcript. I finally talked to someone last week, who worked with me for 45 #$@&& MINUTES! He felt that I should be able to use the tool and/or order a transcript by March 6th. So I relaxed a bit. It is March 8th, STILL NOT ABLE TO USE IT.</p>
<p>Called the IRS today. The first man assured me that I would be transferred to a live person. Transferred, average wait time: 1.5 hours!!!</p>
<p>Called back. Second man has never heard of the tool. I thoroughly explained my problem, that I can’t even order a transcript, and that this is very important for financial aid, etc. I told him I owe money, that I had already talked to the first gentleman, etc. And then he said, “SO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHEN YOUR REFUND IS COMING?” AAAAARRRRRGH!!! I even asked him if he had been listening to me. He then said, “So what form are you trying to get?” HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE FAFSA.</p>
<p>This is crazy. To think that we all pay taxes, and this is how we are rewarded.</p>
<p>Thanks for listening to my rant. :-)</p>
<p>Another data point for reference (or, I don’t want to feel like my 30 minutes on hold was wasted).</p>
<p>No luck on either tax retrieval tool or transcript request (online or by phone). Our return was e-filed on Feb. 15, accepted by IRS on Feb. 20. Our check was cashed on Feb. 28. The person who I talked with at IRS says it takes three weeks from the acceptance date for tax transcripts to be available. He was very definite – 3 weeks. He didn’t know anything about the tax transfer tool, never heard of FAFSA. I’ll try on Monday, fingers crossed.</p>
<p>I’m having a little different problem I’m hoping someone can help me with. My FAFSA only college is requiring a tax transcript. I did a FAFSA with estimated tax info in mid-Jan, and then updated the FAFSA the beginning of February. Not knowing the new rules, I didn’t use the IRS data transfer when I updated to already filed. Mid-February, now knowing the new rules, I went back and made a correction, and used the IRS retrieval tool. Everything transferred fine from the IRS, but FAFSA wouldn’t let me submit without making a “change”. So I did something that wouldn’t affect anything (I think I changed Rd to Road in my address), and was able to submit the new info with and the transferred data.</p>
<p>Now, my college is still requesting a transcript, and it says the best way is to use the IRS data retrieval tool. Well, I DID that already (late, but I did it almost a month ago)?!</p>
<p>Does anyone know why my college wouldn’t be able to see that? Did I do something incorrectly? I can order a hard copy transcript, which I guess I’ll go do, but I wish I could take care of this the fast way.</p>
<p>lol, a simple call straightened it out. They can see the information with the updated FAFSA using the retrieval tool, they are just adding the unsatisfied requirement to everyone’s financial aid account (if needing to be verified) in order to trigger the information sheet that goes with it, which has a checkbox where I can state I already used the tool.</p>
<p>The FA officer apologized profusely, that it was all new to them, too. Poor FA folks, this is probably worse on them, answering all these frantic questions and sometimes with no solution.</p>
<p>@barkingbeth and 2011</p>
<p>if you owe money you will NOT be able to use the data retrieval and/or get a transcript until about a week after you have paid your taxes.</p>
<p>There is hope! I’ve been trying every day, 2-3 times a day, to get the retrieval tool to work and also trying to get a transcript and neither has worked for me. I owed taxes and the IRS cashed my check 4 days after acceptance of my tax return - this was 2/21. I have 2 in college and both are requiring this information as we were chose for verification. I was finally able to get it to work about 5 am this morning! The address I had to use WAS NOT what was on my efile paperwork - so like others on here you might have to try different versions. FYI: I had been trying different versions from the beginning and it didn’t work until today. Anyway, just wanted to add to the others that I finally got it to work and let you know to keep trying and there is hope that it will finally work! Good luck everyone!</p>
<p>^ did it say that your records didn’t match or just the usual… you must have filed recently, etc message?</p>
<p>wow<br>
Im one of the lucky ones who gets the double whamy.</p>
<p>Selected for verification and my taxes are"still processing".</p>
<p>you can bet I paid my taxes i owed last monday and I would do that if I were you as no one really seems t know (which I usually wait untill april to pay) to increase my odds that this process won’t hurt us.</p>
<p>I’ve raised my daughter by myself for her whole life, she has gotten into 3 of the colleges she would be happy to go to and we are waiting regular decision on 3 private schools that we would most likelyqualify for financial aid for.</p>
<p>she has graduated a year early at the top of her class and gotten A on her AP classes.</p>
<p>I would be devasted if this scrunity prevents her from getting the help she needs.</p>
<p>It’s frustrating that someone like me, who makes under 40 thousand dollars should be subject to this .</p>
<p>I am also having a problem with the irs retrieval tool. Do I need to put my middle initial after my first name on the irs form? It only says first name but the e-file form asked for my first name and middle initial.</p>
<p>I would try it with both.
If you go on the IRS web site and try to order a return transcript (not the account transcript) it will tell you if it is even available. i think if it is not, it won’t be available on the fafsa.</p>
<p>I also printed out the order a transcript form and filled one out for each college, just so when ever they have finished processing, these would be sent to the colleges.</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>I just ran across this problem this week, came here, and sure enough others are too. I got notified by 2 of the kids’ schools that we had to use the retrieval tool to verify income. Mine worked fine, and one dd’s worked, but the other dd would not work. The only difference between the two of them is one owes taxes and the other got a refund. I mailed a check to pay her taxes and am hoping that solves the problem since the school is only giving us 15 days to get this to them.
Have another kid in college as well, but he goes to a different school and so far I have heard nothing from them. I sent them our info electronically just in case, but as with the one daughter, he owed taxes and his info is not available. I mailed out his tax payment too even though I really wanted to wait til the 15th to pay their taxes. They should ahve told us up front if the taxes needed to be paid, which by my experience, seems to be the case.</p>
<p>3 in college and we get no fa other than loans-this seems a bit ridiculous to me that they would hold up processing their fa because the government, yet again, can’t get their act together.</p>
<p>We filed our taxes on 2/7 after the second week I tried to use the IRS tool. Wouldn’t work so I called them and was told online had to wait for 3 weeks 21 working days. That would have been Friday March 9th. I just tried again and it still won’t work guess I will call them tomorrow and tell them to send me what needs to be sent encase we are chosen for verification. That tool is horrible since it doesn’t even work.</p>
<p>I kept getting the “your records don’t match ours” error message, and saw a post here about abbreviations IRS uses for their database.</p>
<p>So I changed my input from “… Street” to “… St” and then it worked! (I used … Street for my tax filing)</p>
<p>It’s so wrong that the users must guess what IRS chose to use for abbreviation for their processing. </p>
<p>The least they can do is to include in their error message that “we may have used certain abbreviations for your addresses” or something to the effect. </p>
<p>The system is not ready for prime time, and my sympathy goes out to all those people who must agonize over this problem.</p>
<p>My legal last name is hyphenated. I’ve been having trouble with the IRS since 2000. Seems my the name on my tax return never matches the name at the SS office. In once instance, I had to get my local congressman’s tax advocate involved just to get a refund. Oh, and there is never anything “wrong” other than having a hyphenated name. Neither organization uses hyphens, just spaces, and one or that other ends up lopping off half my name.</p>
<p>Solutions? Next year get dh the pin and pull from him.
Tell the kids never, ever hyphenate. Either change your name or keep the one you were born with, but here’s an area where one should never compromise.</p>
<p>We did not get an asterick. D’s school does not verify everyone, so I may just go ahead and fill the numbers in myself.</p>
<p>Finally got my second kid’s to work…</p>
<p>First kid… 00 ALL CAPS STREET ADDRESS and ROAD SPELLED OUT</p>
<p>Second kid… 00 Not all Capital Street Address and Road Abreviated</p>
<p>I used firefox :)</p>
<p>I stumbled upon the following link which explains in detail how IRS uses abbreviations:</p>
<p>[part3-61</a> | Internal Revenue Manual - Tax Problem](<a href=“http://getirshelp.com/Internal-Revenue-Manual/internal-revenue-manual-table-of-contents/part3-submission-processing/part3-61/#d0e1999]part3-61”>http://getirshelp.com/Internal-Revenue-Manual/internal-revenue-manual-table-of-contents/part3-submission-processing/part3-61/#d0e1999)</p>
<p>I hope this will be a help to someone. </p>
<p>Partial excerpt below</p>
<hr>
<p>3.13.2.3.1
(01-01-2009)
Addresses/Domestic Street Address Abbreviations</p>
<p>Always use the following street address abbreviations. If the input of the cities and towns will not fit into the available space, abbreviate them to make them fit.</p>
<p>Exception:
Abbreviate East, North, South and West only when it is used as a direction of a street, avenue, etc.</p>
<p>Word Abbreviation
Air Force Base AFB
Apartment APT
Avenue AVE
Boulevard BLVD
Building BLDG
Care of, %
In care of %
Circle CIR
Court CT
Department DEPT
Drive DR
East E
Floor FL
General Delivery GEN DEL
Highway HWY
Highway Contract HC
Lane LN
North N
Northeast NE
Northwest NW
one fourth, one half, etc 1/4, 1/2, etc.
Parkway PKY/PKWY
Place PL
Post Office Box PO BOX
Road RD
Room RM
Rural Route RR
Route RT</p>
<p>Rural Delivery RR</p>
<p>South S
Southeast SE
Southwest SW</p>
<p>Street ST
Suite STE
Terrace TER</p>
<p>West W</p>
<p>Can the data retrieval tool be used if the student didn’t file a tax return?</p>