Can we use 2022 taxes for FAFSA if 2023 taxes aren't filed yet?

Ur supposed to use 2023 tax info for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. thats the yr they look at now. if u use 2022 u might get rejected or have to do verification later which is a HUGE pain

We were in the exact same situation!!! My ex-husband didn't file his taxes on time and my son was freaking out. The financial aid office at his school told us to wait until the taxes were actually filed because using the wrong year causes all kinds of problems down the road.

To answer your questions: 1. You must use 2023 tax information for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Using the wrong tax year will trigger verification flags and potentially delay or reduce aid. 2. If her mother received an extension, you have two options: - Wait until her 2023 taxes are filed before submitting - Use estimated 2023 figures now, then submit a correction once taxes are filed 3. Yes, the student still creates their account first, then invites the parent contributor. The student initiates the application with their FSA ID, completes their section, then enters the parent's email to send an invitation. The parent then creates/logs into their FSA ID account to complete their section. If you use estimated figures, be aware you'll need to make corrections later. The SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation will be finalized only after accurate figures are submitted.

Using estimated figures is technically allowed, but there are important considerations: 1. You must be prepared to update the FAFSA with actual tax data once filed 2. If the estimates differ significantly from actual figures, it could trigger verification 3. Some schools won't finalize aid packages until they have the actual tax data Regarding scholarships with early deadlines - check with each college's financial aid office directly. Many schools understand tax extension situations and will work with you if you communicate proactively. Some may accept a provisional FAFSA for scholarship consideration, then require the updated version before finalizing.

For the parent/student process, make sure your daughter logs in with her own FSA ID first. The new system is more specific about only inviting parents who are legally required to provide info. If your daughter's mother has primary custody, make sure she's the parent who gets invited (not you). The parent contribution section now allows for multiple contributors if needed. Also, once you get the contributor invitation, you'll need YOUR OWN FSA ID. Don't try to use your daughter's. The system tracks IPs and will flag accounts if it thinks someone is trying to complete both roles.

When I was helping my nephew with his FAFSA last month, we had to call the Federal Student Aid helpline to ask almost exactly the same question about using estimated tax info. We spent TWO HOURS on hold and then got disconnected!!!

Let me add some clarification on the corrections process if you decide to submit with estimated tax figures: 1. Log in to studentaid.gov with the student's FSA ID 2. Navigate to the FAFSA form and select "Make FAFSA Corrections" 3. Update the tax information sections with the accurate data from the filed return 4. Submit the correction Keep in mind that corrections can take 3-5 business days to process, and your daughter's schools will be notified automatically. The SAI will be recalculated based on the new figures. If the adjusted figures result in a significant change to the SAI, financial aid offers may be adjusted. It's always best to be as accurate as possible with initial estimates if you go that route.

My friend tried using estimates and got stuck in verification HELL. They kept asking for more and more documents and her son almost lost his aid package. Not worth the stress imo!

Regarding your 50/50 custody situation: For FAFSA purposes, the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months should be the one to complete the parent section. If that's equal, then it's the parent with whom the student lived more. If that's also equal, then it's the parent who provided more financial aid. Since you mentioned you're handling college expenses, you're likely the appropriate parent to complete the form. However, if your income is significantly higher than your ex-spouse's, be aware this might result in a higher SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation, potentially reducing need-based aid eligibility.

If her mother makes more than you and you have equal custody, it might benefit your daughter's aid eligibility for you to be the parent who completes the FAFSA. The lower-income parent will typically result in a lower SAI, potentially qualifying for more need-based aid. The official rule is: 1. The parent who provided more financial support in the past 12 months 2. If equal support, the parent the student lived with more 3. If equal living time, the parent who provided more financial aid Since you're handling college expenses but make less, you have a legitimate case for being the parent contributor. Just be prepared to explain the situation if verification is requested.

As someone who just went through this process with my own kid, I'd strongly recommend waiting until the 2023 taxes are actually filed rather than using estimates. I know it's stressful with deadlines, but here's why: The verification process is absolutely brutal if your estimates are off by more than a small amount. Even if you're close, schools often won't finalize aid packages until they have the actual tax data anyway, so you're not really saving time. For the parent/student process - yes, your daughter creates her FSA ID first, starts the application, then invites you as a parent contributor. Make sure you use your own FSA ID when you get the invitation. One thing that helped us was reaching out to the financial aid offices at her top choice schools to explain the tax extension situation. Most were understanding and said they could work with a later FAFSA submission as long as we communicated early about the delay. The peace of mind from submitting accurate information from the start is worth way more than rushing with estimates that might cause problems later!