FAFSA income tax paid box - federal only or total taxes? Urgent help needed!
I'm literally staring at my screen right now completely confused about the "income tax paid" question on the FAFSA. Is this asking for my FEDERAL income tax only? Or do they want the total of federal + state + local taxes? My parents gave me their tax forms but didn't explain which number to use, and the deadline is in 3 days! The form just says "income tax paid" without specifying which type. Anyone know the right answer? I don't want to mess up my whole financial aid package over this one box!!
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McKenzie Shade
It's just the federal income tax amount. You need to look at your parents' Form 1040 and find line 24 (for 2023 tax returns). That's the "total tax" line which is what FAFSA is asking for. Don't include state or local taxes. It's a common point of confusion!
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Caden Turner
•Thank you SO much! Just to double check - so I'm using line 24 from Form 1040, NOT the total tax withholding from their W-2 forms, right? Those numbers are different and now I'm second-guessing myself again...
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Harmony Love
i put total taxes when i did mine and got rejected lol. definitely just federal!!
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Caden Turner
•Omg that's exactly what I was worried about happening! Did you have to redo the whole application or could you just fix that one answer?
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Rudy Cenizo
The FAFSA specifically wants the federal income tax you/your parents ACTUALLY PAID, not what was withheld from paychecks. A lot of people make this mistake and it can seriously mess up your SAI calculation. For 2023 taxes, look at Form 1040 line 24 (Total Tax). That's the number they want.
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Caden Turner
•Thanks! That makes sense. My dad always gets a refund which confused me because I wasn't sure if that meant he technically paid less than what shows on the form.
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Natalie Khan
Let me clarify this since there's a lot of confusion around this question. The FAFSA is asking for the total FEDERAL income tax for the year from IRS Form 1040 - specifically line 24 (for 2023 tax returns). This is NOT: - Not state tax - Not local tax - Not Social Security tax - Not Medicare tax - Not the amount withheld from paychecks shown on W-2s - Not the amount refunded It's specifically the final calculated federal income tax liability. This is a critical number that affects your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation, so getting it right is important.
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Daryl Bright
•Ugh I wish they'd just SAY THAT on the stupid form! Why make it so confusing for everyone??
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Sienna Gomez
I got stuck on this same question last year and ended up calling the Federal Student Aid office to get clarification. After waiting on hold for almost 2 hours, they told me to use line 24 from the 1040 form (this was for 2022 taxes, but same idea for 2023). It's so frustrating how unclear this is on the actual application!
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•I had the same issue last month! I tried calling multiple times but kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a FAFSA agent without the wait. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed it's definitely the federal tax amount from line 24 on Form 1040, not state taxes or withholdings.
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Caden Turner
Update: I found the 1040 and see line 24 now! It says "Total tax" which is way different than what was on the W-2s. Thanks everyone for helping me avoid a huge mistake. I can't believe how confusing they make these forms when literally millions of dollars in student aid depends on getting them right!
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McKenzie Shade
•Glad you found it! And yes, you're absolutely right - the consequences of getting this wrong can be huge for your SAI calculation. Good luck with your financial aid!
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Harmony Love
anybody else think its CRAZY we gotta be tax experts to get through college these days lol
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Daryl Bright
•FOR REAL!!! And then they wonder why completion rates for FAFSA are down. Maybe make it understandable for actual humans without accounting degrees?
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Nia Harris
Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if your parents are married filing separately, you'll need to add up BOTH of their line 24 amounts from their individual 1040 forms. Don't just use one parent's return! I almost made this mistake when I filled out mine earlier this year. The FAFSA wants the total household federal income tax paid, not just one parent's portion.
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