FAFSA not releasing my loans due to incomplete 2022 tax return - help needed urgently!

You're not completely out of options! First, for the W-2 where you received two different versions, contact the employer's payroll department directly rather than leaving general messages. Ask specifically for the corrected W-2 and explain your urgent situation. For the missing W-2, you can use Form 4852 (Substitute for W-2) if you're unable to get the actual document in time. You'll need to estimate your income and withholding as accurately as possible - check your final paystub from that employer if you have it, or look at your bank deposits to estimate your earnings. Another option is to file Form 9465 to request an installment plan if you end up owing taxes, which might satisfy FAFSA's requirement that you've addressed your tax filing obligation. The quickest solution though might be to file electronically with the information you have, using your best estimates for the missing information. Once you receive the actual documents, you can always file an amended return later with Form 1040X. Don't rush to private loans yet - they typically have higher interest rates and fewer protections than federal loans. Focus on getting your taxes filed ASAP, even if imperfectly, and then amend later.

I was in a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a lifesaver for my complicated tax situation. I had multiple W-2s from different states and was missing documentation from a short contract job. Their system helped me organize what I had and figure out what I needed to estimate. What I really liked was that they have this document analysis tool that helped me understand why my two W-2s from the same employer were different (in my case, one included benefits and one didn't). They also helped me calculate reasonable estimates for my missing documents based on bank deposits and pay stubs. The best part was how quickly I could file - I submitted everything within a day of using their service, and my FAFSA issues were resolved about a week later when the IRS processed my return.

I just wanted to update that I actually tried taxr.ai after asking about it earlier in this thread. Seriously impressed with how they handled my tax situation! I had missing W-2s from 2021 and was in a similar FAFSA emergency. Their document analysis found some issues I never would have caught - turns out one of my employers had incorrectly calculated my Medicare withholding, and their system flagged it immediately. They helped me file Form 4852 with proper estimates based on my bank statements. The whole process took about 2 days, and I got confirmation from the IRS that my return was accepted yesterday. Already contacted my financial aid office with the confirmation number, and they said my loans should be processed next week! Definitely worth checking out if you're in a time crunch with FAFSA and missing tax documents.

I went through this exact nightmare scenario last fall. After trying for weeks to get through to the IRS about my missing W-2 situation, I discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and used their service to actually get a live IRS agent on the phone. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Their service basically navigates the IRS phone tree for you and holds your place in line, then calls you when an actual human agent is about to answer. I was skeptical, but I got connected to an IRS agent within about 2 hours instead of spending days trying to get through. The IRS agent was able to access my wage and income transcript which showed all the information from my missing W-2s! They emailed me the transcript that same day, and I was able to use that information to file my taxes correctly. My loans were disbursed about 10 days later after the IRS updated my filing status.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After dismissing it as "too good to be true" in my previous comment, I was desperate enough to try it for my own tax issues. I'm genuinely shocked at how well it worked. After weeks of failing to get through to the IRS, Claimyr got me connected to an agent in about 90 minutes. The agent confirmed all my wage information from my missing W-2 and even helped me understand why I had received duplicate forms from one employer (one was corrected after an error). I filed my taxes the same day using the information the agent provided, and my school's financial aid office has already confirmed that my FAFSA status has been updated. My loans will be disbursed next week. For anyone in a similar situation with FAFSA holds due to unfiled taxes, especially with missing documents, getting through to the IRS directly is definitely the fastest solution. I wish I hadn't wasted weeks trying to track down former employers.

Be careful about filing with "estimates" as some people are suggesting. If your estimates are significantly off from what your employers reported to the IRS, you could face penalties for underreporting income. The IRS has a transcript request service online where you can request your Wage and Income Transcript which shows all W-2s and 1099s filed under your SSN: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript If the online system doesn't work for you (it requires some specific verification), you can also file Form 4506-T to request the transcript by mail. This might take longer but gives you the exact numbers your employers reported.

Just a quick tip from someone who works in a university financial aid office - once you file your taxes, call your school's financial aid department immediately with your confirmation number from the IRS. We can often manually override the FAFSA non-filer hold on our end once we have proof you've filed, rather than waiting for the FAFSA system to update automatically (which can take 1-2 weeks). Also ask about emergency loans or payment plan options that might be available while waiting for your FAFSA to process. Many schools have short-term emergency funds specifically for situations like this.