I have tried to use this tool many times and have had difficulty getting it to work. I started working on two of my kids FAFSA a couple of months ago and was unable to get it to work. I keep getting the same error message:
“We are unable to provide you with your Federal Income Tax Information. Double check the information you entered and try again or return to FAFSA and enter your responses to the financial questions using the information provided on your Federal tax return.”
I went back to it yesterday and was similarly having an issue. But then I tried something for my older kid and got it to work. My street address is 1. Sometimes I write it out as “one” and other times I use the numeric “1”. The instructions to use the tool said to write the information exactly like on your return. On the return I used “one”, so I kept trying that with no success. Then I tried “1”, and it worked for my older kid. However, when I try it for my younger kid, I cannot get it to work no matter what I put. I even tried clearing my cache thinking it was under the covers using some info.
Anyone else have such issues? Any resolutions other than enter it manually?
Have you tried using a different browser?
In fact, things just got worse. I tried to go back to my older kid’s fafsa, hoping to inspect the info on the IRS Data Retrieval Tool page. I am sure I saved it last night. Today it could not find the fafsa. I am guessing it is related to me clearing the cache. So I went through the first few screens and can’t get the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to work for my older kid now.
I’m guessing it is the address that is the issue, just don’t know how to fix it.
I couldn’t use the data retrieval tool b/c our identity was stolen 2 years ago and the IRS is super tight with our info now, I guess. Anyway, I filled out the fields manually and submitted withOUT the retrieval/automatch. It was accepted no problem. Don’t worry about the retrieval option; just override it (that’s an option).
If you enter manually…make sure younalso order a tax transcript…in case your school wants that.
Did you all try a variety of browsers?
I tried Firefox, Chrome and IE.
So I got it to work using my wife’s info (we filled joint). No idea why it did not work for me. I am sure my name was correct. Maybe there is a 3 strikes and you’re out thing going on. The address only worked when I put “1”, even though on my return I put “one”. With my id, I probably tried more than 3 times with “one”. Who knows?
Sometimes it requires that the parent who has the FSA ID is listed first on a joint tax return.
I was listed first on the joint return. In the past we used my id. I created a new id for my wife yesterday and then it worked.