FAFSA tax issue: Ex claimed child without custody, now I owe $800 - how to report when paying with 2023 refund?

This happened to my sister! Her ex did the same thing and she had to deal with so much paperwork. I think you need to call the financial aid office at the school you're applying to because they can sometimes make exceptions. Definitely dispute it with the IRS though! When someone claims ur kid wrongfully you should ALWAYS dispute it or they'll keep doing it!!!!

You're dealing with two separate issues here that need different approaches: 1. For your FAFSA: You need to select "Will File" for your 2022 tax return status. The FAFSA for 2025-2026 requires 2023 tax information anyway, but they'll want to know the status of your prior year taxes. You can explain your situation in the comments section of the FAFSA. 2. For the tax issue: File IRS Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) along with your 2022 return asap. This protects your portion of the refund. Then file Form 8857 (Request for Innocent Spouse Relief) to dispute your ex's improper claim. I recommend getting your 2022 taxes filed immediately, even if you owe. You can set up a payment plan with the IRS for as little as $25/month. This will make your FAFSA processing much smoother.

not sure bout all the tax stuff but i had somthing kinda similar happen with my fasfa last year. ended up having to do income verification and it was a NIGHTMARE. took like 2 months to get my aid. the school financial aid ppl were useless btw

You're actually supposed to use IRS Form 3949-A to report someone who incorrectly claimed your dependent. But don't wait for that to resolve - it can take MONTHS for the IRS to investigate. For FAFSA, you should file your 2022 return NOW showing your child as your dependent. Yes, you'll get a rejection initially because of the duplicate SSN, but then you'll need to paper file with a letter explaining the situation. The FAFSA people will want to see that you at least attempted to file correctly. Also, if the custody case has been resolved and shows you had primary custody in 2022, include that documentation with your FAFSA application. The financial aid office has override capabilities for situations just like this.

If you're trying to reach the IRS about this, good luck getting through. I spent WEEKS trying to talk to someone about a similar dependent issue. If you need to actually speak with a FSA agent about your FAFSA situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me through to a live FAFSA agent in under 25 minutes after I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent was able to add notes to my account about my tax situation, which helped prevent verification delays. Worth it for the time saved alone.

You need to understand how the FAFSA works for this specific situation: The 2025-2026 FAFSA uses your 2023 tax information, not 2022. So your 2022 tax issue technically won't directly impact your FAFSA calculations. However, if you haven't resolved your 2022 taxes, it could trigger a verification flag on your application. For your situation, I recommend: 1. File your 2022 return immediately claiming your child as your dependent (which is factually correct based on your custody situation) 2. Submit documentation to your school's financial aid office showing you had custody in 2022 3. Set up a payment plan with the IRS for the $800 if needed 4. On your FAFSA, accurately report your 2023 tax information 5. In the comments section, briefly explain your 2022 tax situation is under dispute Don't wait for the IRS dispute to be resolved before filing your FAFSA - they operate independently.

DONT FORGET the new FAFSA for 2025-2026 has that new SAI score instead of EFC too!! The whole system changed and it's SUPER confusing. My cousin's application got all messed up because she didn't realize how different everything is now.

The worst part of all this is the timing. If you're trying to start school this fall (2025), you're cutting it close with financial aid. Most schools have priority deadlines for FAFSA in February-March for the following fall semester. Missing those can mean thousands less in institutional aid even if you still qualify for federal aid. If I were you, I'd: 1. File both tax returns ASAP 2. Submit FAFSA immediately after 3. Contact your school's financial aid office directly 4. Ask about any emergency or late consideration policies they have 5. Get documentation of your custody situation ready The tax dispute with your ex is important, but it's a separate battle that can be fought after your financial aid is secured.