FAFSA submitted without 2022 tax return - will Fresh Start IRS program cause verification issues?
I'm super nervous about our FAFSA submission. My wife and I haven't filed our 2022 taxes yet (I know, I know). We got a legitimate extension and are working with a tax professional right now because we unexpectedly owed a significant amount for the first time ever. We're enrolled in the IRS Fresh Start program to manage the tax debt. We just completed the FAFSA application yesterday and checked the "did not file" box for 2022 taxes. My son's work-study eligibility depends on this FAFSA going through smoothly. I'm worried this unusual tax situation will trigger verification or delay his financial aid. Has anyone dealt with submitting FAFSA while in the Fresh Start program or with unfiled taxes from the required year? Will the financial aid office request additional documentation? I'm worried we'll mess up my son's entire college funding situation because of our tax issues.
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Harold Oh
This is definitely going to cause verification issues. The FAFSA system almost always flags applications where parents checked "did not file" but had income that would normally require filing. Since you're working with a tax professional, ask them to provide a formal letter explaining your extension and Fresh Start enrollment. Your son will likely need to submit this to the financial aid office. The school's financial aid office has procedures for handling situations like yours, but you should contact them directly ASAP and explain the situation. They might require a Verification of Non-Filing Letter from the IRS and possibly estimated income documentation.
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Payton Black
•That's exactly what I was afraid of. Do you think we should go ahead and reach out to the financial aid office now, or wait until we receive a verification request? I'm worried about drawing unnecessary attention to our application if it might actually go through without issues.
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Amun-Ra Azra
omg my parents did something similar last year!!! it was a NIGHTMARE. we got flagged for verification and the financial aid office kept asking for documents we didnt have yet. my work study was delayed by like 2 months and i almost lost my position!!!!!
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Payton Black
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! Did you eventually get everything sorted out? What kind of documentation did they end up accepting?
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Amun-Ra Azra
•yeah we did but only after my mom went to the financial aid office like three times in person. they ended up accepting some letter from the accountant + the extension paperwork + some form showing estimated income. but every school handles it different i think
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Summer Green
Financial aid administrator here. This situation is more common than you might think, especially with the Fresh Start program. Here's what you should do: 1. Don't wait for verification to be triggered - proactively contact your son's financial aid office and explain the situation. 2. Prepare the following documents: - Copy of your filed extension (Form 4868) - Letter from your tax professional explaining the situation - IRS documentation showing your enrollment in Fresh Start - An estimated income statement for 2022 3. If verification is triggered, you'll need an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter. Request this now from the IRS website. Your son's work-study won't necessarily be affected, especially if you address this proactively. The financial aid office can often place a temporary hold rather than denying eligibility outright. The important thing is clear communication about the timeline for resolving your tax situation.
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Payton Black
•Thank you so much for this detailed response! This is incredibly helpful. I'll gather these documents right away and contact the financial aid office tomorrow. One quick follow-up question - for the estimated income statement, is there a specific form we should use, or can our tax professional create something for us?
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Summer Green
•Your tax professional can create an estimated income statement on their letterhead - there's no specific IRS form required for this purpose. Just make sure it includes all sources of income that would normally appear on your 1040 and is signed by your tax professional. The financial aid office may have their own institutional form they prefer you use, so ask them when you call.
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Gael Robinson
has anyone tried calling FSA directly about this? i tried for THREE DAYS and couldnt get through to a human being. just automated messages and then disconnects. i think they're just overwhelmed with calls since the new FAFSA came out
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Edward McBride
•I had the same issue trying to reach FSA about a verification question last week. After multiple disconnects, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ It was worth it because the agent was able to tell me exactly what documentation I needed for my unusual situation. Definitely better than guessing or waiting for a rejection letter weeks later.
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Gael Robinson
•oh wow thanks! i'll check that out. did they tell you anything helpful or just the same stuff thats on the website?
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Edward McBride
•The agent gave me specific information that wasn't on the website. She told me which forms would be accepted for my situation and the exact timeline I could expect. It was definitely more helpful than trying to figure it out from the general guidance online.
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Darcy Moore
The whole system is RIGGED against people with complicated tax situations!!! My daughter lost her entire Pell Grant last year because of verification issues after I checked the "did not file" box. We submitted everything they asked for but they kept demanding MORE documents. By the time we got it all sorted, it was too late and she had to take out extra loans. The Fresh Start program is supposed to HELP people but the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing in the government!!!
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Payton Black
•I'm so sorry that happened to your daughter. That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Did you try appealing the decision after everything was sorted out? I'm wondering if there's any recourse if we end up in a similar situation.
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Darcy Moore
•We did appeal but got NOWHERE. The financial aid officer just kept saying "deadlines are deadlines" even though the delay wasn't our fault! Make sure you stay ON TOP of everything and document EVERY conversation. Get names of everyone you talk to. The system is designed to make you give up!!!!
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Dana Doyle
not to go off topic but im curious about the Fresh Start program... my parents owe back taxes too. is it helping you guys? worth doing?
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Payton Black
•It's been a lifesaver for us honestly. We got penalty relief and a much more manageable payment plan. The application process was straightforward, and it stopped the constant stress of IRS notices. The main downside is that you still need to stay completely current on new tax obligations while you're in the program.
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Dana Doyle
•cool thx for the info! might tell my parents to look into it
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Harold Oh
Here's something important that hasn't been mentioned: if your son's school calculates his SAI based on incomplete information, and then your tax situation changes significantly once you file, you can (and should) request a professional judgment review from the financial aid office after your taxes are filed. This allows them to adjust his aid package based on the accurate information. Honestly, this happens more than people realize. Extensions are common, especially for people with complex tax situations. The key is communication with both the financial aid office and your tax professional to ensure everyone is working with the same timeline and expectations.
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Payton Black
•That's really good to know about the professional judgment review option. I was worried that once they calculated his SAI, we'd be stuck with it even if our tax situation turned out differently than expected. Knowing there's a mechanism to update it later is reassuring. We'll definitely keep documentation of everything along the way.
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Amun-Ra Azra
wait i'm confused... isn't FAFSA using the 2023 tax info now for the 2025-26 form? why are they looking at your 2022 taxes?
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Summer Green
•You're mixing up the tax years. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they'll use 2023 tax information. For the 2024-2025 FAFSA (the current application cycle), they use 2022 tax information. The OP is dealing with the current application cycle.
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Amun-Ra Azra
•ohhh that makes sense!! i get so confused with all these different years lol
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Payton Black
Update: I wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I followed the suggestions and contacted the financial aid office proactively. They were actually really understanding about our situation. They gave us a specific list of documents to provide: 1. Copy of our extension paperwork 2. Letter from our tax professional 3. Documentation of our Fresh Start program enrollment 4. An estimated income worksheet (they provided their own form) They said they'd put a note in my son's file and as long as we provide these documents within 30 days, his work-study shouldn't be affected. They also said we'll need to provide the actual tax return info once we file, but that can be handled through a professional judgment review as someone suggested. I feel so much better knowing what to expect rather than just waiting for a potential verification issue to pop up! Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and advice.
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Harold Oh
•That's excellent news! This is exactly why proactive communication with the financial aid office is so important. They deal with these situations regularly and usually have established procedures. Glad to hear your son's work-study position shouldn't be affected.
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Darcy Moore
•Good for you! Wish we'd done the same instead of waiting for them to contact us. You probably saved yourself MONTHS of stress!!!
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