FAFSA skipped IRS verification step but sent tax info request email - what gives?

Same thing happened to me last week. The new FAFSA is totally different from previous years. From what I understand, they're now pulling tax info directly from the IRS instead of having us manually enter everything. You should be fine as long as you gave consent during the application process.

This is actually part of the new FAFSA Simplification Act implementation. The 2025-2026 FAFSA now uses direct data sharing with the IRS rather than manual entry. When you consented to IRS data retrieval during the application, you authorized this automatic process. The email is just confirming that your tax data request was sent to the IRS. You should receive another notification once the data is successfully retrieved and your SAI is calculated. The benefits of this new process include reduced errors and fewer verification flags. The direct data exchange means most applicants won't need to go through additional verification later. Just keep checking your student aid account and email for updates.

my son got this email to, were sooo confused. why cant they make this process easier?? last year we filled everything out in one sitting and knew right away what he qualified for. now its like hurry up and wait!! why change something that WORKED??!!

I've been dealing with the exact same issue! Got that email 2 weeks ago and STILL haven't received my SAI calculation. I've called the FSA helpline every day this week trying to get answers, but I keep getting stuck on hold for hours and then disconnected. So frustrating!!! Has anyone actually had their tax info successfully processed through this new system yet? I'm beginning to think nobody at the Department of Education tested this before rolling it out. My college's financial aid deadline is coming up fast.

Actually you might have a problem... If you never got the IRS verification screen during your application, it sounds like you might have skipped a step. Did you click through all the pages too quickly? I made sure to carefully read each page when I did mine and definitely had to authorize the IRS data retrieval. Maybe try logging back in and see if there's an incomplete section?

This is normal with the new FAFSA process. The direct data exchange with the IRS can take 7-10 days to complete in some cases. A few things to be aware of: 1. You can check your application status at studentaid.gov to confirm it's in "Processing" status 2. Make sure your email address is correct in your FSA account so you receive all notifications 3. If it's been more than 14 days since submission with no updates, then you might want to contact FSA 4. Some schools have flexibility with their "priority deadlines" when there are FAFSA processing delays The good news is that once your application completes processing, your SAI should be sent automatically to all the schools you listed on your FAFSA. You won't need to take additional steps for that part.

ok but why are they making us use 2022 tax info for the 2025-2026 year anyway?? thats like 3 years old by then! my husbands income changed A LOT since 2022! this is so stupid, the whole system is broken

UPDATE: Just got the email that my FAFSA has been fully processed and my SAI calculation is complete! It took 6 days total from submission to completion. The email says my data was successfully retrieved from the IRS and my information has been sent to the schools I selected. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. For anyone else experiencing this, it seems the new system does work - it just takes some patience!