Identity theft affecting my taxes - will this mess up my son's FAFSA application?

omg thats so stressful!! i'd be freaking out too. my cousin had something similar happen with her credit cards but not taxes. have u put a freeze on ur credit reports yet?? that might help with future fraud at least

This is actually more common than people realize with FAFSA applications. You should take two important steps immediately: 1. Contact the FSA office directly at 1-800-433-3243 and explain your situation. Request they add a note to your FAFSA profile about the identity theft issue. 2. When completing the FAFSA, use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool rather than manually entering tax information. Since you've verified your identity with the IRS each year, the DRT should pull the correct tax data. You'll also want to have documentation ready if verification is requested - bring copies of the police report for the identity theft and any IRS correspondence about resolving the fraudulent returns. This might actually trigger verification, but having documentation ready will speed things up.

hate to say it but prepare for delays. my husband had something similar (not identity theft but irs audit issues) and it held up our daughter's fafsa for almost 2 months. the schools were understanding but it was super stressful waiting.

I work in a college financial aid office, and we see situations like this more often than you'd think. Here's what you should do: 1. File an identity theft affidavit (IRS Form 14039) if you haven't already 2. Get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS for future tax filings 3. Bring documentation of the identity theft situation to your son's preferred schools' financial aid offices Most importantly, don't wait to file the FAFSA. Complete it as soon as the application opens (December 1 for the 2025-2026 year). Even if there are delays in processing, having it submitted early gives you more time to resolve issues. Finally, if verification is required (which is likely given your situation), respond immediately with all requested documents. Many schools have institutional funds they can hold for students with special circumstances like yours.

I had something similar happen but with unemployment benefits during COVID. Someone was claiming benefits using my info. When I filed my FAFSA for my daughter, I got flagged for verification because the IRS transcript showed income I never received. It was a NIGHTMARE getting through to anyone who could help. I spent literally weeks trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid who could actually understand my situation. After getting disconnected dozens of times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual FSA agent without the hours of waiting. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through to a human, they were able to put notes on my account about the identity theft and help guide me through the verification process. My daughter eventually got her aid, but it was way more stressful than it needed to be.

the whole system is such GARBAGE. my kid's fafsa got held up for 3 months last year because of a stupid error that wasn't even our fault!!! the government makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get help. they WANT us to fail! why should we have to jump through all these hoops just to get the education our taxes supposedly pay for anyway????

Make sure you understand the difference between a regular FAFSA verification and an identity verification. They're handled differently. With identity verification, you may need to submit additional documentation to prove you are who you say you are. The Department of Education might request: - A copy of your driver's license or other government-issued ID - A signed statement attesting to your identity - Sometimes even request you appear in person at the financial aid office Also, when your son completes his FAFSA, list all his potential schools. If there are processing delays, having schools already in the system means they'll receive his information as soon as it's processed. Some schools have special procedures for identity theft situations, so let them know about your situation as early as possible.

Update: I called the FSA office this morning (waited 45 minutes but finally got through). They added a note to my profile about the identity theft situation and gave me some specific instructions for when we file the FAFSA. They also suggested we request an extension from any schools with early financial aid deadlines just in case there are processing delays. Thank you all for your helpful advice!

So glad you were able to get through to FSA and get that note added to your profile! That was definitely the right first step. One thing I'd also recommend - keep detailed records of every phone call, reference number, and person you speak with throughout this process. With identity theft situations, sometimes information doesn't get passed along properly between different departments or agents. Having your own paper trail can save you from having to re-explain your situation multiple times. Also, if your son's FAFSA does get selected for verification (which sounds likely), respond to any requests immediately - even a few days delay can push you to the back of the processing queue. Wishing you and your son the best of luck with this whole process!