FAFSA complications with non-tax-filing parent - what documentation will my son need?

This is definitely something that can be worked through! The FAFSA has specific procedures for non-tax-filers. Your ex-husband will need to indicate on the FAFSA that he did not file and was not required to file a tax return. He'll then need to provide alternative documentation of his income: 1. He'll need to get a Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS (can be requested online or with Form 4506-T) 2. W-2 forms for any work performed 3. If he received 1099 income, those forms should be submitted 4. If paid in cash without documentation, he'll need to submit a signed statement detailing his income sources and amounts The financial aid office may select your son's application for verification, which is common with non-tax-filers, so be prepared to submit these documents directly to the school too.

my cousin went thru this last yr. her dad didnt file taxes either and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! took like 3 months to get everything verified and she almost missed her schools deadline for aid. make sure ur ex starts getting that non-filing letter from IRS ASAP!!! it takes FOREVER omg

I work in a financial aid office, and I can confirm that this situation is manageable but requires careful documentation. Here's what your ex-husband will need to do: 1. On the FAFSA, he'll select the option that he "Will not file" a tax return 2. He must get the IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter (this is absolutely required) 3. He should create a detailed income statement listing all sources of income with estimated monthly amounts 4. Any documentation of income (1099s, payment receipts, bank statements showing deposits) should be collected now Importantly, your son's SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation will be affected by how this income is reported, so accuracy is crucial. If the income is significantly underreported, it could trigger additional verification. One thing to note: if your ex-husband was legally required to file taxes but didn't, this could create complications. The financial aid administrator may need to determine if he was actually required to file before processing the FAFSA.

I went through exactly this with my dad last year. It was a COMPLETE MESS. We ended up calling the Federal Student Aid hotline like 10 times because we kept getting conflicting information. But the worst part was waiting for hours each time just to talk to someone! I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Seriously made the whole process so much less stressful. The agents were actually super helpful once we could talk to them - they walked us through exactly what documents my dad needed as a non-filer. Just make sure your ex has his FSA ID ready before calling.

just so u kno the FAFSA is different now for 2025-2026!!! its called the BETTER act or something and theres a new formula for calculating SAI instead of EFC. not sure if it changes anything for non-tax filers but worth checking. also the actual form is supposed to be easier now

I went thru similar situation divorce etc etc. If your son lives MOST of the time with dad then dad is the parent who has to do FAFSA. But if its close to 50/50 and YOU file taxes, you might want to check if there's any way you could be the contributing parent instead? Might be way less hassle since you have tax returns?? Just a thought.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I spoke with my ex and we're going to start gathering all the documentation mentioned. He's requesting the Non-filing Verification Letter from the IRS this week and putting together records of his cash income. If we run into problems, I'll definitely try that Claimyr service to speak with an agent directly. A follow-up question - how likely is it that my son's application will be selected for verification? Is this automatic for non-tax filers, or just a higher probability?

THE WHOLE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!! My daughter's application got stuck in verification for FIVE MONTHS last year because her dad doesn't file taxes either (independent contractor). Meanwhile her friends whose parents make twice as much but have "normal jobs" with W-2s got their aid packages right away. It's like they PUNISH families that don't fit in their neat little boxes. And good luck getting ANY help from FSA - it's like they WANT us to fail!!!!

Update: My ex got the Verification of Non-filing Letter from the IRS! It only took about two weeks. He's also put together a signed statement about his cash income with as much detail as possible. My son's school financial aid office actually gave us a template to use for the income statement which was super helpful. Feeling much better about this whole process now. Thanks again everyone for your advice!