FAFSA application stuck after giving IRS data retrieval consent - what's happening?

literally same thing happened to me last week! the irs retrieval tool is so broken this year. i waited 4 days and it never went through. ended up having to enter everything manually from my tax returns. huge pain but at least it's done now.

This is a known issue with the IRS Data Retrieval Tool this application cycle. There are a few troubleshooting steps you can try: 1. Make sure your name, SSN, and address EXACTLY match what's on your tax return 2. If you recently filed or amended your taxes (within 3 weeks), the system may not have your updated records 3. Check if you have any special tax situations (foreign income, amended returns, identity protection PIN) If none of these apply, you might need to contact Federal Student Aid directly for assistance. Their systems have been experiencing increased technical difficulties since the new FAFSA launched.

u should check ur email too. sometimes they send u a message saying there was a problem but don't tell u on the actual website. happened to my daughter and we had no idea until we checked her spam folder!

I was dealing with this EXACT problem for TWO WEEKS!!! The IRS retrieval tool is absolutely USELESS this year with all the FAFSA changes. I called the Federal Student Aid number like 20 times and couldn't get through to anyone. Busy signals, disconnects, or wait times of 3+ hours. FINALLY I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual human at FSA within 15 minutes! They confirmed there was a glitch with my account and fixed it on their end. Worth checking out: claimyr.com - there's even a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Financial aid counselor here. The IRS DRT issues are affecting about 30% of all FAFSA applications this cycle based on what we're seeing. If you need to enter information manually, here's what you'll need to have ready: - Your 2023 tax return (Form 1040) - W-2 forms for all jobs - Records of untaxed income if applicable - Current bank statements and investment records Just take your time and double-check all figures. Also, make sure you understand which line items go where - the FAFSA instructions will specify which line from your 1040 corresponds to each question. Accurate manual entry is better than waiting indefinitely for the DRT to work.

has anyone tried using the mobile app instead of the website? my roomate said the DRT worked for him on the app when the website was giving him problems

UPDATE: I actually managed to get this resolved! I tried calling FSA directly but couldn't get through, so I used Claimyr as suggested above. Once I got through to an agent, they explained there was a mismatch between my FAFSA account name and my tax return (apparently I had included my middle initial in one but not the other). They unlocked something on their end and I was able to successfully use the DRT after that. My application is finally complete! Thanks everyone for your help!

This is exactly why I always recommend having your tax documents ready as a backup! I went through something similar last year - the IRS DRT kept timing out during peak application season. What saved me was having all my W-2s and 1040 forms organized beforehand. Even though manual entry takes longer, at least you're not at the mercy of system glitches. For anyone still dealing with this issue, don't wait too long before switching to manual entry, especially with school deadlines approaching. Better to have an accurately completed FAFSA than to miss your priority deadline waiting for the DRT to work!