FAFSA 2025-2026: Which tax return year needed for kids graduating spring 2025?

You should use your 2023 tax return for a student graduating in spring 2025 and enrolling for the 2025-2026 academic year. The FAFSA always uses what's called the "prior-prior year" tax information, so it's always two years before the academic year starts, regardless of when you actually fill out the form. So for the 2025-2026 academic year FAFSA: - Use 2023 tax return information - This applies even if you fill it out in October 2024, December 2024, or March 2025 - The "two years prior" rule is consistent across all applications

my brother said the same thing last year and got denied cuz he used the wrong tax return lol. definitely use 2023 for 2025-26 school year

I just went through this whole process with my oldest son and I promise you it's the 2023 tax return you need. They switched to this system a few years back specifically so families wouldn't have to wait until they filed their most recent taxes. It's ALWAYS the taxes from two years before the academic year starts, no matter when you submit the application. It's actually called "prior-prior year" in FAFSA-speak. So: - 2025-2026 academic year = 2023 tax return - 2026-2027 academic year = 2024 tax return And so on...

The federal student aid website confirms it's your 2023 tax information for the 2025-2026 academic year. It's called the prior-prior year rule and it's been standardized to make it easier for families to complete the FAFSA earlier. The reason for this policy is so you can use completed tax information rather than estimated info. If your income has changed significantly since 2023, you'd complete the FAFSA with the 2023 information first, then contact each college's financial aid office about a professional judgment review (sometimes called a special circumstances review or income adjustment). By the way, if you're having trouble reaching anyone at Federal Student Aid to confirm this or with other FAFSA questions, check out Claimyr.com - they can get you connected to a live agent without the typical 2+ hour wait. They have a quick video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. I used it last month when my son's FAFSA got flagged for verification and we needed to speak to someone ASAP.

In my experience, the instructions are always confusing!!! I filled out my son's FAFSA last year and used the wrong year's tax info. We had to correct it later and it delayed his financial aid package by over a month. DEFINITELY use 2023 tax info for 2025-26, and make SURE you have your 2023 return easily accessible when you sit down to do the application.

I think everyone is correct about using 2023 taxes for your 2025 high school graduate. But I just want to point out that the FAFSA for 2025-2026 should open October 1, 2024. You don't need to wait until December to submit it. In fact, some schools have priority deadlines as early as November for certain scholarships, so I'd recommend filling it out as soon as it opens!

One more important thing: when you use your 2023 tax information, make sure you're directly transferring the data using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the FAFSA application. It automatically imports your tax information and reduces the chance of errors. Some types of aid are first-come, first-served, so accuracy from the start is important.

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter last year, I can confirm everyone is absolutely right - use your 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA! The "prior-prior year" rule is confusing at first but it's actually helpful once you understand it. One tip I wish I'd known: gather ALL your 2023 tax documents before you start, not just your 1040. You'll need W-2s, 1099s, and any other tax documents because the FAFSA asks for specific line items. Also, if you and your spouse filed separately, you'll need both returns. The silver lining is that since you're using 2023 taxes (which are already filed and finalized), you won't have to estimate anything or go back and make corrections later when you file your 2024 taxes. Good luck with your daughter's applications!

Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus here - definitely use your 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA! I made this mistake with my oldest child a few years back and it was such a headache to fix. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also make sure your spouse (if married) understands which tax year to use if they're helping with the application. My husband almost used our 2024 tax info when he was helping me finish the form because he thought "more recent is better." Also, if you're divorced or separated, make sure you're clear on which parent's 2023 tax information to use - it's based on who provides more financial support, not necessarily who has custody. The FAFSA has specific rules about this that can be confusing. The good news is once you get through this first FAFSA, the process becomes much clearer for subsequent years!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm in the exact same situation with my son graduating in spring 2025. I was completely confused about the tax year too, but now I understand it's definitely the 2023 return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. One question I have that I don't think was addressed - if we have a significant change in income between 2023 and 2024 (my husband lost his job in early 2024), should we still use the 2023 info initially and then contact schools for the professional judgment review that @Elijah O'Reilly mentioned? Or is there a way to note the income change directly on the FAFSA application itself? Also, thanks for all the tips about using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and submitting early in October. This community has been a lifesaver for navigating this process!

As a newcomer to this process, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. I was also confused about which tax year to use for my daughter who's graduating in spring 2025, and seeing so many people confirm it's the 2023 tax return gives me confidence we'll do this correctly. I especially appreciate the practical tips like gathering all tax documents beforehand, using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, and submitting as early as October when the FAFSA opens. The mention of priority deadlines for scholarships is something I hadn't even considered, so that's definitely going on my calendar. One follow-up question - for those of you who have been through this before, how long did it typically take to complete the FAFSA once you had all your documents ready? I'm trying to plan out when to set aside time in October to tackle this without feeling rushed.

As another parent navigating this for the first time, I can't thank everyone enough for clearing this up! My son is also graduating spring 2025 and I was getting conflicting information from different sources about which tax year to use. Seeing everyone consistently confirm it's the 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 academic year has been such a relief. I was worried I'd mess something up and delay his financial aid. The "prior-prior year" terminology makes so much more sense now. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and having all our 2023 documents ready before October. Has anyone had experience with how the tool handles things like business income or rental property? We have a small rental property and I want to make sure that information transfers correctly. Also planning to mark my calendar for early October submission - I had no idea about the priority deadlines for scholarships that some schools have. This community has been incredibly helpful for a nervous first-time FAFSA parent!

As another first-time FAFSA parent with a spring 2025 graduate, I can't express how grateful I am for this thread! I was completely lost about which tax year to use and had been stressing about this for weeks. Seeing everyone consistently confirm it's the 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 academic year has given me so much peace of mind. The explanation about the "prior-prior year" rule finally makes sense - I love that they designed it so we don't have to wait for our 2024 taxes to be filed. That was one of my biggest concerns since we typically file pretty close to the April deadline. I'm definitely taking all the advice here to heart: gathering all our 2023 tax documents now, planning to submit right when the FAFSA opens in October, and using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to avoid any manual entry errors. The tip about checking for priority scholarship deadlines is something I would never have thought of on my own. One quick question for those who've been through this - when you say "gather all tax documents," does that include things like the property tax statements and charitable donation receipts we used for itemizing, or just the actual tax forms themselves (1040, W-2s, 1099s, etc.)? I want to make sure I'm fully prepared but don't want to overcomplicate it either. Thank you all for making this intimidating process feel so much more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I want to add my thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences here! My son is graduating spring 2025 and I was also completely confused about which tax year to use. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it's so reassuring to see everyone consistently confirm that we need to use our 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The "prior-prior year" explanation finally makes sense to me now, and I love that this system means we don't have to rush to file our 2024 taxes early or use estimated numbers. I'm definitely going to follow all the great advice shared here: having our 2023 tax documents organized and ready, submitting as soon as the FAFSA opens in October, using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to avoid errors, and checking with each school about priority deadlines for scholarships. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, does it work pretty seamlessly, or should I expect any technical glitches? I'm not the most tech-savvy person and want to be mentally prepared if the system has issues when everyone is trying to submit in early October. Thank you all for making this process feel so much less overwhelming for us first-time FAFSA families!

As someone who just completed this process for my daughter who graduated spring 2024, I can absolutely confirm what everyone is saying - use your 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA! I was just as confused as you are when we started this journey. The "prior-prior year" rule threw me off initially too, but it actually makes the process much smoother once you understand it. We didn't have to stress about rushing to file our 2024 taxes or worry about making estimates that might be wrong later. A few additional tips from our experience: - Create your FSA ID well before you plan to submit (both parent and student need separate IDs) - The FAFSA saves your progress, so you don't have to complete it all in one sitting if you get stuck - Double-check that all your daughter's colleges are listed correctly in the school selection section The hardest part is just getting started, but once you have those 2023 tax documents ready and understand it's always two years prior to the academic year, it's really not as scary as it seems. You've got this!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I just want to echo everyone's gratitude for this incredibly helpful thread! My daughter is also graduating spring 2025 and I was equally confused about which tax year to use. After reading through all these responses, I'm now confident that we need to use our 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The "prior-prior year" explanation has finally clicked for me - it's actually brilliant that they designed it this way so families don't have to scramble with estimated numbers or wait for recent tax filings. I'm taking notes on all the excellent advice shared here: organizing our 2023 tax documents now, submitting right when the FAFSA opens in October, using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to minimize errors, and checking each school for priority scholarship deadlines. The tip about creating FSA IDs ahead of time is also going straight to my to-do list. It's such a relief to find a community where experienced parents are so generous with their knowledge. What seemed like an impossible maze of confusing requirements now feels like a manageable process with clear steps. Thank you all for making this less intimidating for us first-time FAFSA families!

As another newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly clear and comprehensive thread! My son is also graduating spring 2025 and I was completely lost about which tax year to use until I found this discussion. Seeing everyone consistently confirm that we need our 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA has been such a huge relief. I was getting conflicting information from various sources online and was worried about making a mistake that could impact my son's financial aid eligibility. The "prior-prior year" rule explanation makes perfect sense now - I actually love that the system is designed so we don't have to wait for our 2024 taxes or use estimated numbers. Since we typically file our taxes in March, this takes a lot of pressure off the timeline. I'm definitely implementing all the great strategies shared here: gathering our 2023 tax documents now, creating our FSA IDs ahead of time, submitting as soon as the FAFSA opens in October, and using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to avoid manual entry errors. The heads up about priority scholarship deadlines is something I never would have considered on my own. This community has transformed what felt like an overwhelming and confusing process into something manageable with a clear roadmap. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences - it means the world to us first-time FAFSA parents!