Unique situation Im in with FAFSA

Paying for College
1

<p>Ive tried applying for Financial Aid a year ago for Fafsa but here is my situation</p>

<p>MY parents never got married but have 4 kids together</p>

<p>They own a bakery business which we all help run we dont usually make alot of money...... enough to pay bills.</p>

<p>My parents do not get income tax or anything in that matter because they are self employed.</p>

<p>My father had problems with the irs in the pass and wont let me use his information.</p>

<p>My mother on the other hand is happy to provide her information. But we arent sure how to obtain certain documents such as--- income tax returns, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms for the previous year.</p>

<p>I just need help I already got accepted to my college. I dont want to go to financial aid office knowing what I already know will be said. </p>

<p>As of marital status who would I use for fafsa since my parents are not married ????? I dont want to put misleading info that would get me in trouble.</p>

<p>Also how could I attain my mothers tax documents ?</p>

<p>-------------I can proved all this information
* The student's driver's license and social security card.
* The student's income tax returns, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms for the previous year. If the student is married, you will also need the documents for the student's spouse.
.
* Current bank statements and mortgage information.
* Records relating to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments.
* Documentation of non-taxable income, such as Social Security income, AFDC, and Veterans Benefits.
* Business and farm records.
* Records relating to any unusual family financial circumstances, such as medical and dental expenses not covered by health insurance, tuition expenses at elementary or secondary schools, unusually high child care costs, death, divorce, and loss of employment. </p>

<p>-----------------------------------Except this</p>

<ul>
<li>The parents' income tax returns, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms for the previous year- which i think is the most important on</li>
</ul>

<p>Please I need help from somebody</p>

2

<p>You need to get the income tax information from your parents. There is really no other way for you to get it. Those are THEIR documents and the choice to give you that information is theirs. Your mother should have a copy of her tax returns from 2007. If she didn’t make a copy last year, encourage her to do so in the future…and to hang onto it for a while. Did a tax preparer, perhaps, file your mom’s return…or did she use a computer program to do so? If so, have her contact that “tax preparer” or log into the computer program site where with a PIN number she should be able to get a copy of her return at least. </p>

<p>Re: income tax…if your family owns a business, they should be filing income taxes every year even if the business takes a loss (which is then noted on the returns). I’m not a tax expert…so you would need to verify this with someone who is.</p>

<p>And lastly, check your state laws. If your parents have been living together THAT long, they likely are viewed as a common law marriage and if that is the case, you will need your dad’s info as well. Again…I’m not an expert in this area, so check with someone who is.</p>

3

<p>If your parents are running a business there are tax returns somewhere. They may be filing business returns and not filing personal returns (not a good idea, but it happens). Ask your mom for her returns, if she filed them and doesn’t have a copy she can request a copy from the IRS. If she is a legal partner in the business, she can request those as well. It’s at least a start…</p>

4

<p>If you live in a state that recognizes common law marriage, you will need to report info for both of your parents on the FAFSA. If the state would not consider your parents’ partnership a marriage, you are to use the parent who provided the most support to you in 2007. That’s the law, and you must abide by it. If it’s dad, your only option is going to the financial aid office & explaining your situation in hopes of getting some type of professional judgment in your favor (no guarantee this will happen, of course).</p>

<p>Your mom can request tax info from the IRS, but she will need to sign the IRS info form in order for it to be acceptable for verification purposes.</p>

5

<p>Well this is the situation.</p>

<p>My father owns the business. My mother just works there and has No ownership in any way to the business. Also they are Not Considered Married in Washington State</p>

<p>The only reason i think my dads still around is probably to avoid child support.</p>

<p>My mother is the one who provides me with clothes, food and a place to live. </p>

<p>My father on the other only cares for himself and his business never tried to help me financially in any way.</p>

<p>Since I know my mom probably makes less then 10,000 a year she doesnt file or pay taxes. because she only gets 300 a week. </p>

<p>Could I use her in my Fafsa</p>

6

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<p>Your mom should be filing taxes. Just my humble opinion. My daughter earns $50 a week. She has been filing taxes for years. </p>

<p>I think your issue is more complicated than can be addressed here. Your family needs to get their “tax issues” reconciled with the help of a professional knowledgeable in the tax area. I’m not a tax expert…but someone owning a business needs to file taxes (for the business and personal taxes) and any (ANY) person earning an income from a job, regardless of the amount needs to file taxes annually…of course you should get this checked with a tax expert.</p>

<p>Please get some expert advice with your parents. And do it soon enough to get your financial aid applications completed. I would suggest…NOW.</p>

7

<p>You need your mom’s 2007 tax forms, and she didn’t file any. Most people with low annual incomes file to get back taxes that were paid by being withheld from paychecks. Hmmm. Let me think.</p>

<p>I wonder, can your mother file late for 2007? It sounds like she may be willing to work with you on this. </p>

<p>As I read it, the IRS web site says that a head of household making less than $11,250 is not required to file if he/she is not trying to get back a refund of taxes paid. But even so, you can file when you are not required to (and maybe I am wrong!)</p>

<p>The financial aid office may be familiar with situations like this. </p>

<p>I wonder can your mother document her “less than $10,000” annual earnings?</p>

8

<p>Ok the school I want to attend is 2 hours away Seattle Central CC</p>

<p>so i cant just walk in at any moment and talk to them at Financial Aid in person…</p>

<p>I explained to them my situation by phone</p>

<p>They sent me an e-mail saying to go my local community college and their financial aid office could help me. I live in rural Washington and thats still 45 minutes away.</p>

<p>I just need someone to help me in person and not tell me the same thing.</p>

<p>I want to go to nursing school and be a nurse. </p>

<p>I would go get a loan right now but I have no credit and my mom might but im sure its bad.</p>

<p>Geez this is getting to complicated for me…</p>

9

<p>If your state does not have common law marriage, file FAFSA with your mother being the custodial parent. She does not have to have filed taxes to complete FAFSA. Download the form, print out a hard copy and sit down with her to go over the questions. You will have to include any income that your father has provided towards your support including payment of rent/mortgage. Is there anyone in your community such as at your high school, library, rec center that is assisting with financial aid info? That can be of assistance. Ultimately, however, you and your parents are going to have to complete the form to get aid. You may be eligible for some grants, if your mother’s income is low and your father’s support to your family does not put you over certain income threshholds. You will certainly be eligible for some unsubsidized Stafford loans at very least. </p>

<p>If you cannot get to school to get these forms completed, how on earth are you going to get to classes?</p>

10

<p>oh</p>

<p>Well I do have a car for those purpuses</p>

<p>but the only time I have off is on weekends and </p>

<p>college office hours are 7 to 5.mon-friday</p>

<p>i work 8-5.</p>

11

<p>You need to take time off from work to do this. It is important as your money for school can depend on it. But do get a copy of the FAFSA first and complete it with your parents the best you can.</p>

12

<p>Tell you what</p>

<p>I’m going to schedule an appointment at the CC closest to me so they can help me with the paperwork </p>

<p>Right now When the clock hits 7:00 am pacific today</p>

<p>Once scheduled I will let you know what was said.</p>

<p>This will be my mission this week for Fafsa Ill keep everyone informed</p>

13

<p>Good luck!</p>

14

<p>JBAR, even if your mom doesn’t file taxes, she must still put her income earned on the FAFSA. You need to do the same.</p>

15

<p>Your mom should file a 2007 tax return and report her income, she will owe zero taxes, but she is eligible for the rebate that is currently being given. If she doesn’t file a return, they have no way to send her a rebate check. This will also help you with your financial aid package. It’s not too late to file for 2007, and she really should as she could get $300 back.</p>

16

<p>Another reason for your mom to file with the IRS is that she may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. </p>

<p>If the amount of the EITC that your mom qualifies for is greater than the amount of taxes she owes, the federal government will give her money.
[It’s</a> easier than ever to find out if you qualify for EITC](<a href=“http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96406,00.html]It’s”>Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) | Internal Revenue Service)</p>

17

<p>You mention other siblings…your mother may be eligible for the 2007 rebate for herself, and possibly children too, under 18.</p>

<p>On FAFSA…there is a box if you’ve filed (or parents filed) tax return. The drop down box has… filed…will file…will not file (or something to the effect of not needing to file) You will be surprised with a bit of information, not that difficult to complete.</p>

18

<p>If you are going for a nursing education there is a lot of federal money for you that have forgiveness when you graduate. Because of the nursing shortage there are also many scholarships available to you, so it is imperative to do the FAFSA. Please have your mom at the very least file for the previous year of your anticipated college start. Even if she hasn’t filed by the time you do the FAFSA, you can do the estimated portion and still submit it. Because she is basically a single parent with children, she should be filing as head of household. I am assuming your father does not live with you based on your post.
Best of luck to you.</p>

19

<p>And just to let you know – Washington is not a state that recognizes Common Law Marriages, so your parents are not married when you file the FAFSA</p>

20

<p>Also, FAFSA, i believe only looks at the custodial parent. CSS Profile looks at both incomes. So you might want to stick with just FAFSA schools.</p>