Unable to access W-2 forms & struggling with the IRS over a transcript

Paying for College
1

Although I have submitted my other tax forms (aside from the non-custodial parent ones, and he has promised to submit them by the deadline), I no longer have copies of my two 2022 W-2 forms, as required to be submitted to the Financial Aid Offices of most colleges I am applying to, via the CSS Profile’s IDOC system. I have reached out to both former employers, one of whom I may be able to obtain a new copy from, and the other of whom (for whom I worked for less than three weeks) has, as of yet, mostly refused to cooperate. I am (hopefully) applying via Questbridge and thus would need all of this by early November.

I reached out to the offices of the colleges where it would be definitely necessary (Notre Dame, Boston College, Bowdoin, Amherst, Lafayette, Harvard, Connecticut College, Tufts, Wesleyan, Pomona, Stanford, Yale, Davidson, GW, Rice, Bates, Columbia, Hamilton, Haverford) and each and every one (except Hamilton, bless them) pointed me to the IRS’s wage and income transcripts.

However, I previously tried that & two issues arose:

  1. I do not have a government issued ID and will not for a few months (I am a naturalized US citizen, however, birth certificate is with a family member and DMV needs the original). The IRS’s ID.me website partner requires such for verification.
  2. I was able to somehow get around that (government websites being government websites, I suppose) with another link, which led me to a page that said I could not access a wage and income transcript due to being under 18.

While I will continue to work with my former employers, I am severely doubtful that the one in question will provide by the Questbridge deadline, where Stanford, Yale, etc. will be in my early applications (this is assuming I am selected as a finalist, of course, which is no guarantee but seems reasonable to prepare for as it would be the scenario that requires the most work/getting ahead on things).

How can I access a wages & income transcript via the IRS? Is there a way my parent could access it for me owing to me being a minor?

Tangentially, I am also curious how this might affect my financial aid and consideration-I made just under $6,000, while my mother made just under $14,000 (I was the primary household income provider for some months due to a car accident), which I am aware is deeply disproportionate to the typical ratios of parent:student income (although my non-custodial parent made between 29,000 and 34,000 last year, for what it is worth).

Thank you.

2

You can request to be sent by mail. You can call to request it or mail in a form - both ways will result in the IRS sending the transcript through the mail. See this link: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them. You have to send it to the address that you used on your tax return, though - hopefully, that’s not an issue.

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3

And as for your other question: Your income is low enough that none of it will affect your financial aid for federal aid. It might come into play for Profile schools, but I honestly don’t think it will have much (if any) impact. You are low income, even if your non custodial parent income is considered.

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4

Thank you. When I went to the menu for requesting.a form by mail, I only had options for return or account transcripts, are wages and income included in those?

5

Wage and income transcript gives your W-2 information. That should work for you.

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6

It was not an option on the IRS website for me, only return and account.

7

Try this: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4506-t. You can request W-2s. I encourage you to call the number at the top of the form to talk about your needs and make sure you are getting what you need in the easiest way possible.

8

Thank you so much! I am currently at a fly-in at Bates College so will have to do the actual form filling out tomorrow or Wednesday, but I really appreciate it! This is just what I needed, I believe.

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9

Do call them, though. They have employees who can help you make sure everything is correct when you complete your form. They may even be able to suggest an alternative, easier way to get what you need.

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10

And since you know there’s a lag time to get your birth certificate- work on that NOW. You don’t know when you are going to need it, so be prepared. Good luck.

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