<p>During 2009-2010, I worked approx. 6 months, finally stopping in early May. From that 6 months, I earned approx. $2000; however, the employment was very informal, and my employer did not prepare a W-2. Since May (2010), I haven't worked at any other job. </p>
<p>So my question is, should I report a the amount I made in 2009-2010 (roughly $ 2k) in this year FAFSA? Should I file a tax return.</p>
<p>You must report your earning on FAFSA and they won’t affect your EFC because they are below the student income allowance. You are not required to file a tax return as your income is below the IRS threshold, but can do so if you believe you had federal taxes witheld and would like a refund. Your employer is required to furnish you with a W-2 and can be penalized for not doing so. I would give them a call as it’s possible they use a service and have no idea that you haven’t received your W-2 yet…two of my kids have had to call and request duplicates just this year (service claimed they mailed them, but I doubt it).</p>
<p>I also am a semifinalist. Any idea how many there are? Has anyone heard back yet?</p>
<p>If your employment was completely informal (as in the employer paid you cash and did not withhold any taxes at all), you could file your taxes as a self-employed individual. This is a bit messier and requires schedules C and SE, and you would almost certainly owe taxes because you would need to pay the Social Security taxes that are due.</p>