When the schools request more financial verification and your only option is to mail or fax the tax forms, can you black out part of your SS number so the information is a little more protected? This may seem like a dumb question but last year we were victims of identity theft and our taxes were hacked. I don’t like our SS numbers being out there any more than they have to be.
One of the schools we had to send them to (I think Penn) they said in the instructions to black out SS#'s, but I’d call the school’s FA office to check with the individual school.
I blacked out all but the final four digits of the SSAN.
I don’t like to fax. I don’t even fax or email a W-9 to my clients. Faxing is not secure. FedEx it or mail it via US Mail.
@brantly Why is faxing not secure? Financial institutions fax all the time.
Faxing is actually safer than mail or email.
I think it’s not because it’s data transmitted over a phone line. Also because corporate fax machines retain the info. That’s that important for a college FA office, but I don’t fax my W-9s to clients because the shared fax machine in the copy room retains the info. SAme with modern-day copy machines.
I consider faxing to be more secure than email. However, I will admit that is very faint praise. I would like OP black out the social security number before faxing if the school allows this.
Thanks everyone for replying to my question! I had my husband black out most of the SS number and fax the documents. We will see if the school has a problem with that.
You should contact the FA office before doing that.
Corporate fax machine having the data is still far saver than having the email in server. At least you need to be there to retrieve the data in the fax. Many offices actually have the fax received directly into a computer as a local file. If you send it by mail, you should use certified mail or at least with tracking option.
The university didn’t even want the forms we sent (although that is what my daughter said they wanted, w2s and tax filing form). They want an actual transcript. For money they probably won’t even grant us anyway. I didn’t use the tax thing that connects to FASFA because it wouldn’t let me (not sure if it was because of the fraud last year or if it was down when I was filling it out?). So now I have to figure out how to get them what they really want. Ughhh. DId I mention I put a freeze on my credit report because of the identity theft? I don’t think I can grab it off the IRS website if that is even an option.
You can fill the 4506-T and fax in to request the transcript. I got mine online but I cannot get my daughter’s one because she has not credit history for verification. I faxed in the form. You may also request by phone.
I just printed the 4506 request form. It is $50 to get a copy of our return? This just keeps getting worse.
From IRS form 4506-T:
“Use Form 4506-T to order a transcript or other return information free of charge.”
What costs $50?
Edited to add: ok, I see, requesting an actual copy of your tax return, using form 4506, costs $50. But if the school only wants a copy of the tax transcript, you use form 4506-T, and the cost is $0. If the school wants an actual copy of your tax return, just use a copy which you should have (hopefully – here’s a lesson why you should always keep a copy of your tax return).
@BelknapPoint We do save copies of all of our returns, we faxed them to the school earlier today and got an email from financial aid that we need to give them this other 4506-T form. Which I guess is more official than our actual returns that we did ourselves, and our W2s? I don’t get it. I just logged into FAFSFA again to see if it would let me link to the IRS but it said I need to call IRS Identity Protection Special Unit. Which is the same thing I think happened when I tried this back in October.
Thank you for pointing out that I need the other 4506 form 
! No other schools have asked for this 4506 form so this is new and frustrating. I thought we were just waiting for offers now. Nope!
@3js3ks we got picked for verification and got a letter from the school with this link to get a tax transcript, didn’t cost anything:
If you filed a tax return:
Tax return transcript can be ordered through the link below, or by calling 1-800-908-9946
https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof-tra/start.do
We also have our credit frozen and it didn’t cause any problems obtaining this info. My DD is only an hour away so when she was home I had her take all the info back to school and turn it in directly to the financial aid office.
Even we did DRT on FAFSA, they still ask for the tax transcript. The school can always ask for additional documents for verification. The transcript is free, but it may be not easy if you are not eligible to online download. I need to wait for my verification code by mail before logging in as my cell phone account does not match my first name on the tax form.
You can go to an IRS office and get the transcript there.
Our college specifically asked that we not fax, as everyone’s papers just pile up at the machine. They felt a mailed envelope was a surer way to get our info to them in an intact package.
@billcsho I wonder if that is why the IRS site would not verify my husband’s cell phone number, he has a name that can be shortened, which he just informed me is the case on his cell phone contract. So his name on that account wouldn’t match our tax form.
I called the IRS special Identity Protection Specialized Unit today and was able to have an agent verify my identity and send me the tax form I need. Thanks for everyone’s help on this matter.