How should I go about FAFSA as a homeowner under 24? Marriage vs tax implications

Wait, so there's no federal tax credit for buying your first home anymore? I thought that was still a thing! So basically there's no home tax benefit to lose by getting married? Also, with the income difference between them, would they likely get a tax benefit from marriage or a penalty?

The federal first-time homebuyer tax credit (worth up to $8,000) expired back in 2010. There are occasional proposals to bring something similar back, but nothing is currently in effect at the federal level. Some states do offer their own programs, but those are typically applied when you purchase the home, not when you file taxes. With your income difference ($83k vs $34k), you would likely experience a "marriage bonus" rather than a penalty. When one spouse earns significantly more than the other, filing jointly often results in a lower total tax liability compared to filing as singles. This is because the lower-earning spouse effectively gets to use some of the higher-earning spouse's lower tax brackets.

How does this taxr.ai thing work exactly? Does it just give general advice or does it actually calculate specific numbers for your situation? And is it actually accurate for FAFSA stuff or just taxes?

I'm skeptical about these tax tools. How is this different from just going to a tax professional? And how much does it cost? Seems like it could just be giving generic advice you could find with Google.

It's actually pretty sophisticated - you upload your documents (tax returns, financial statements, property documents) and it uses AI to analyze your specific situation. It gave me personalized calculations showing exactly how my FAFSA eligibility would change based on different scenarios, including marriage. It even factored in my state's specific education grants. It's different from just going to a tax professional because it specifically connects tax decisions with FAFSA impacts, which many tax pros don't specialize in. The analysis includes both the tax implications AND the financial aid consequences so you can see the complete financial picture. Plus it's available 24/7 so I could play around with different scenarios whenever I had questions.

How does this Claimyr thing actually work? Do they just call for you and then connect you somehow? Seems weird that they can get through but regular people can't.

This sounds too good to be true. I've tried calling the FAFSA helpline dozens of times and never got through. Are you saying this service somehow jumps the queue? I'm suspicious that this is just another scam trying to charge people for something that should be free.

They have a system that waits on hold for you. You enter your phone number and what you're calling about, and their system gets in the call queue. Once they reach a real person, they call your phone and connect you directly to the agent. It's like having someone else wait on hold instead of you. They're able to get through because their system can stay on hold indefinitely and uses advanced techniques to navigate the phone menus. It's not jumping the queue exactly - they're just handling the frustrating waiting part for you. Once you're connected, it's a direct conversation between you and the FAFSA representative, so you're getting the official information straight from the source.

I've definitely considered waiting until I turn 24, but that's still about 11 months away. Starting school is pretty time-sensitive for me since there's a specific program I want to get into that only accepts students in the fall semester. If I wait until I'm 24, I'd basically be delaying my education (and future career) by a full year. As for the marriage thing - we were already planning to get married eventually, this would just change the timing. Definitely wouldn't make that decision ONLY for financial reasons, but it seems like it might be beneficial on multiple fronts.

That makes sense if the program only starts once a year. Just wanted to make sure you'd considered that option since so many people don't realize the age 24 cutoff can make such a big difference. If you were already planning to get married anyway, then the timing adjustment might be worthwhile. Just make sure you're both on the same page about doing it sooner than originally planned. Good luck with school and congrats on the home purchase!

Also worth mentioning that if you have unusual circumstances, financial aid offices can sometimes do a "dependency override." It's rare, but if you can document unusual family situations, it's worth asking. Parents refusing to provide info usually doesn't qualify though.

I looked through all those independence qualifiers already and unfortunately don't meet any of them. No kids, not a veteran, wasn't in foster care, not emancipated, and don't have dependent parents I'm supporting. I also asked about the dependency override at the financial aid office, but they said they only do those in extreme circumstances like documented abandonment or abuse. My situation with my parents is fine - we just don't have a financial relationship anymore since I support myself.