<p>Hi. I have a rather convoluted situation and was hoping you all could provide some clarity. I am divorced and we complete the FAFSA based on my ex husband and his wife's information. He retired in May of 2009, so he has income for part of the year. He now receives a pension which is taxable. He also got a job in August to help pay for college. Are all of those incomes part of the AGI? Also, his wife was laid off in September and collected unemployment. Does her income plus the unemployment also go into the AGI? She just got a job this week, so she can't claim displaced worker, right? They haven't filed their taxes yet, so I can't just take numbers off the 1040, and I can't rely on last year's taxes because the situation has changed so much.
Anybody have any ideas?</p>
<p>Yes all that is income on FAFSA. Any nontaxable portion of SS pension is not reportable. But any taxable portion is. If she now has a job she cannot say she is a displaced worker. That would only make a difference if they could qualify for simplified needs (income under $50k), or automatic 0 EFC (income under $30k).</p>
<p>I think the first couple of thousand dollars of unemployment income are not taxable for 2009. They may still have to be reported on FAFSA though.</p>
<p>That’s what I thought. So we just add all the incomes together for the AGI? And the unemployment also goes in?</p>
<p>This year the first $2400 of unemployment is not taxable, so you need to deduct $2400 from total unemployment before adding it to the AGI. Later you will include the $2400 under the question about tax free income.</p>
<p>The taxable part of the unemployment income goes in the AGI. The first$2400 of unemployment income is not included in gross income for 2009. I think that still has to be reported as untaxed income on FAFSA (I can’t find anything saying it does not), but would not swear to it.</p>
<p>I wasn’t able to find anything that specifically states that the first 2400 goes under untaxed income on the FAFSA either, but that’s where I put it. It seems as if the FAFSA form isn’t keeping up with changes in the federal tax forms this year (ie all the questions about the opportunity credit on another thread).</p>