FAFSA IRS data exchange failure - school requesting tax documents despite choosing data retrieval
Just got a really stressful email from my daughter's top choice college saying "the FAFSA IRS data exchange was not used" and now they want me to "upload a copy of the 2022 parent 1040 with any schedules that were filed." I'm 100% certain I selected the IRS data retrieval option - I've always done this in previous years without issues! The weird part is we've already received financial aid packages from other schools this week, so I thought everything was fine with our FAFSA. Looking at our submission summary from April 12, it appears to show IRS information (though I'm second-guessing myself now). Our FAFSA had that weird auto-submission glitch where it went through without signatures, and we finally fixed that on April 12. Could that have messed up the IRS data transfer? This is the only CSS Profile school my daughter applied to, if that matters. My son's FAFSA processed normally back in January. Anyone else experiencing IRS data retrieval failures this year? What should I do besides just sending the tax forms they're asking for?
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Hunter Edmunds
OMG same thing happened to me!!! Three of my daughters schools were fine but her dream school said the EXACT same thing about the IRS data! So frustrating b/c I KNOW I hit the button to use the data exchange. This new FAFSA is such a disaster...
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Ella Lewis
This is happening to a lot of families this cycle. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool functionality has been spotty with the new FAFSA rollout. The auto-submission glitch you mentioned likely contributed to the problem. When the system auto-submitted without signatures, it may have failed to complete the data exchange properly. The most straightforward solution is to simply upload the requested tax documents. While it's frustrating, it's faster than trying to get the IRS data retrieval to work retroactively. Make sure to include all schedules that were filed with your 1040, as some schools use this information for institutional aid calculations beyond what the FAFSA requires. Also, since this is a CSS Profile school, they typically require more detailed financial information anyway. They may be asking for the tax documents regardless of whether the IRS data transfer worked.
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Jade O'Malley
•Thank you for explaining! So frustrating that this rollout has been so problematic. I'll get the documents uploaded today. Do you know if I need to upload just the 1040 and schedules, or should I include all the worksheets too? The email wasn't super specific.
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Andrew Pinnock
I had this EXACT samee issue! My kid applied to 7 schools and only ONE of them said the IRS data didn't transfer. What made it worse was waiting on hold with Federal Student Aid for 3+ HOURS trying to figure out what happened. Every time I finally got through, they'd transfer me and then I'd get disconnected. Ended up just sending in the tax forms because we were up against a financial aid deadline.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Hey I had the same issue with getting disconnected!! Someone on another thread recommended using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to FAFSA without the insane hold times. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. I was skeptical but it actually got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of hours. The agent confirmed there was a glitch with the IRS data transfer for many applicants.
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Andrew Pinnock
•omg thank you! wish I'd known about this earlier! Bookmarking for next time we inevitably have FAFSA issues...
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Alexis Renard
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool has been problematic with this FAFSA cycle. Since you've received aid packages from other schools, they clearly have your information. This CSS Profile school might be more stringent or have a different verification process. I work in financial aid, and I can tell you that the Earned Income Credit flag you mentioned (when you clicked yes) can sometimes trigger additional verification requirements at certain institutions. This isn't necessarily related to the IRS data exchange issue, but it could be why this particular school is requesting documentation while others aren't. Just upload what they're asking for. Include the complete 1040 with all schedules. This is much faster than fighting the system or trying to get the IRS data exchange to work after the fact.
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Jade O'Malley
•Thanks for the insight about the EIC possibly triggering additional verification! That makes sense. Should I call the financial aid office to explain the situation, or just upload the documents without discussion?
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Alexis Renard
•Just upload the documents. Calling likely won't change their requirements, and they're dealing with thousands of similar situations right now. If you have other specific financial aid questions for them, you can include those in your call, but for the tax document request, just comply and move forward.
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Camila Jordan
ugh this whole fafsa process is GARBAGE this year!!! i swear the dept of education is trying to make it impossible for kids to get financial aid. my nephew had the exact same problem with 2 schools. we had to dig up all his parents tax stuff and upload it. what a waste of time when the stupid system was supposed to do this automatically!!!!!
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Tyler Lefleur
•While it's frustrating, remember that schools just need this info to calculate your aid correctly. The more accurate documentation they have, the more likely you'll receive the correct amount of aid. The new FAFSA rollout has definitely had issues, but the goal is still to distribute aid fairly.
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Camila Jordan
•fair enough but they shouldve tested this system BEFORE unleashing it on millions of families!! now everyone's scrambling with deadlines and might miss out on $$$
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Tyler Lefleur
Here's what I'd recommend: 1. Upload the requested tax documents ASAP (complete 1040 + all schedules) 2. Email the financial aid office confirming you've uploaded the documents 3. In that same email, politely ask if there's anything else they need to finalize your aid package 4. Keep an eye on your student portal for any additional requests The auto-submission glitch affected thousands of applications this cycle. When your application submitted without signatures and then you signed later, it likely created a disconnect in the IRS data transfer process. Since you've received aid packages from other schools, the core FAFSA data is in the system - this particular school just needs the tax documentation to verify everything.
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Jade O'Malley
•This is really helpful, thank you! I'll follow these steps today. Should I be concerned about missing any aid deadlines since we're having to do this additional step now?
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Tyler Lefleur
•Contact the financial aid office immediately if you're concerned about deadlines. Most schools have been somewhat flexible this year due to the FAFSA rollout issues, but don't assume - ask specifically if this affects any deadlines for your daughter. Be sure to mention in your communication that you completed the FAFSA in January and fixed the signature issue on April 12.
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Hunter Edmunds
Has anyone tried to go back into the FAFSA and redo the IRS data transfer? Is that even possible after its been submitted??? I'm having the exact same issue with my son's top choice school.
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Ella Lewis
•Unfortunately, you can't redo just the IRS data transfer on a submitted FAFSA. You would need to submit a correction, but even then, the IRS data retrieval functionality has been unreliable this cycle. At this point, directly providing the tax documents is the most efficient solution.
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Jade O'Malley
UPDATE: I uploaded all our tax documents yesterday and emailed the financial aid office to confirm. They responded today saying everything looks good now and they should have my daughter's aid package calculated within the next 10 days. They said lots of families had this issue with the IRS data retrieval not working properly this year. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Brianna Schmidt
•Great news! Glad it was a simple fix in the end. This FAFSA cycle has been such a nightmare for so many families.
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Andrew Pinnock
•thanks for the update! now I don't feel so bad knowing this happened to lots of people
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Freya Larsen
So glad to see your update that everything worked out! I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now - my daughter's school is requesting tax documents even though I'm positive I used the IRS data retrieval tool. It's reassuring to know this is happening to so many families and isn't something I did wrong. Going to upload our documents today and hopefully get a quick resolution like you did. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess!
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