<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t mind scaring you. If your parents are incorrectly filing their taxes you have no hope of getting any financial aid, none. I personally know of a story where a very destitute young man who got a full ride to Cornell. His family was so uninformed they had never filed a tax return. He lost all of his assistance, his family’s failure to file a tax return meant there was nothing Cornell could do for him.</p>
<p>Your parents need to file their tax return correctly.</p>
<p>Well tell her you can’t even get federal student loans if you can’t file FAFSA. So the only loans you will be able to get are PLUS loans (which are parent loans) or private loans (which she will have to take out or cosign for).</p>
<p>If she is getting a lot of money back I am wondering if there is EITC (earned income tax credit) involved here.</p>
<p>okay thanks…but instead of making threats… how can they file correctly and what will be the penalties?</p>
<p>I just read your post #20 and I am so sorry for their attitude. You dad is saying he wants to straighten it out but he can’t because of your mom. You mom is saying no one complained when there was extra money so you shouldn’t complain now.</p>
<p>It sounds to me like you are going to be the one who pays for their flagrant abuse of the system.</p>
<p>However this plays out, keep your chin up. There are many ways to pay for college, one is to get a job and put yourself through community college. Even if you are on your own you can do this.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>They already know how to file correctly, they just don’t want to. You can’t just cheat on your taxes for years and then turn around and say now that it is in my best interest I’ll file correctly and expect there to be no consequences. The penalities for back taxes owed will be huge, I don’t think they’ll do it.</p>
<p>You can’t make them do anything. Start coming up with a plan for putting yourself through college without their help.</p>
<p>For this year they would have to file amended tax returns. There would probably not be a penalty for the current year (maybe interest on the overpaid refund, I’m not sure) as they are correcting a recent error. Any refunds over what they were entitled to would have to be repaid of course. And I suspect it might make the IRS look at previous years taxes. This is likely to happen eventually anyway.</p>
<p>If this has been going on for several years I honestly don’t know how it would be corrected. Your parents would really need to go to an expert and get help sorting it all out. And by and expert I mean a CPA, not a big box company like H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt.</p>
<p>What a big mess.</p>
<p>the thing is i have stats that could get me into top colleges–like georgetown or even hyp
i am on the road to a univeristy not a community college</p>
<p>and also the thing is…my mom received her irs refund money about 1-2 months and now it is all gone…so can things still be amended in this situation?</p>
<p>If I want to go to HYP or a similar school expense wise…can I really file independently from them and still be able to get good aid?</p>
<p>You can always file an amended return. Any overpaid refunds obviously have to be repaid. The problem here is that there has been some ongoing tax fraud going on by the sound of it. So just correcting this year may solve your FA problems but there may be other legal problems looming. Expert advice is needed.</p>
<p>
No you can’t. You are considered a dependent of your parent for FA purposes until you turn 24.</p>
<p>Oh jesus christ, i just want my FA worked out correctly.
and yes, my mom has been doing this **** for years! my dad is constantly yelling at her about during tax season yet she secretly files things on her own without my dad—since she does hoh my dad is then blocked from successfully filing his taxes.</p>
<p>okay…april 15 is the tax deadline–but that can be extended? um…i am going to go with my dad to his accountant (who just recently got out of jail btw which messed up my older brother -_-) and hopefully things get sorted out. </p>
<p>If my dad does end up owing $100,000+ are those commercials about getting help to pay the irs just a scam…or do they really lessen the amount needed to be paid to the irs?</p>
<p>ooh okayy, people keep telling me o file independently but yeaa i did think i was too young</p>
<p>His accountant just recently got out of jail? Seriously?Might be like going asking the fox to help sort out violence in the hen house.</p>
<p>yes 
he was the “family” accountant…the one my mom uses
ugh ■■■! how hard is it to search for a new accountant?
■■■■, i wish my parents were more responsible D’:</p>
<p>Your Mom uses this accountant? Sounds like he is part of the problem then. Good lord. This just gets worse.</p>
<p>It sounds like your dad would like to at least understand the situation…and he should because it’s just as much his problem as your mom’s since they are married. The accountant is in a pickle if he at any point during any years signed your parent tax forms when your mom was playing with the returns. You also don’t know how many years this has been going on whether it’s the entire 7 years or just recently. Go with your dad and explain your position. The others are correct, the FAFSA needs to reflect the tax forms and 30% of the forms are randomly verified so there is a pretty high probability over the next 4 years that you would need to produce the tax forms and send copies to the college. Hopefully your parents’ accountant was in jail for something other than being a “bad accountant” and can straighten out at least this year’s return and get you on the track to be able to afford college. No one here could possibly guess what the situation is, the dollars involved and any penalties. Heck it’s just as possible that your mom could have gotten a better return doing it the right way as the wrong way…who the heck knows what’s she’s been up to…and yes the April 15 day is the date to file, she already filed so you are trying to file an amended return… Good luck!</p>
<p>thank you! i am doing as much research as i can about this situation… i do not know why the accountant was in jail but he knows that my mom is married yet filing hoh. </p>
<p>i just dont want my parent(s) to be thrown in jail or $100,000+ in debt be/c of me :(</p>
<p>and trust me…this has been going on for SEVERAL years.
my dad has NEVER failed for taxes since moving from the virgin islands be/c of this blockage my mom has formed</p>
<p>Wahkimoocow - do you know for certain your parents are legally married (legally for the United States)? I don’t know if that makes a difference but it’s a place to start with your accountant…</p>