Requesting Tax Information and Verification of Non-Filing

If your FAFSA application was selected by the U.S. Department of Education for verification, you and your parent(s) may be required to provide income and tax information. Log into your Student Financial Aid Portal to determine if tax information is required for you and/or your parent(s).

We highly encourage you to use the following options to transfer your tax information directly into your FAFSA.

  • 2023-2024 FAFSA Applicants - use the IRS Data Retrieval process within the FAFSA application to link your 2021 tax information to your application.
  • 2024-2025 FAFSA Applicants - provide consent and approval during the FAFSA process to import 2022 income and tax information from the IRS to the FAFSA.

If you are unable to use the automated processes listed above, use one of the options listed below to provide the financial aid office a copy of your IRS Tax Return Transcript or signed copy of your income tax return and applicable schedules. Upload the requested documentation via your Student Financial Aid Portal.

U.S. Tax Return Filers

Option 1: Submit a Tax Return Transcript

  • Request from the IRS at irs.gov/transcript
    • Request Online: “Get Transcript Online”
    • Request by Mail: “Get Transcript by Mail”
    • Automated Telephone Request: (800) 908-9946. Generally received within 10 business days.
    • Request by Paper: Using IRS Form 4506-T. Generally received within 10 business days.
      • CAUTION: Make sure to request the "Return Transcript" and NOT the "Account Transcript."

Option 2: Submit a signed copy of federal tax returns and Schedules 1-3 and/or schedule C (if applicable).

Non Tax Filers

Option 1: Submit a Verification of Non-Filing Letter (VNF) and a copy of IRS Form W-2, or a wage and income transcript, for each source of employment income received by the individual:

  • Request VNF from the IRS at irs.gov/transcript
    • Request Online: “Get Transcript Online”
    • Request by Paper: Using IRS Form 4506-T. Generally received within 10 business days.
Note: 2023-2024 FAFSA applicants must first attempt to obtain VNF from the IRS. If unsuccessful, option 2 can be used.  

Option 2: Submit a signed and dated statement certifying that the individual:

  • Has not filed and is not required to file an income tax return, and a listing of the sources of any income earned by the individual from work and the amount of income from each source; and
  • A copy of IRS W-2 forms for each source of employment income received or a wage and income transcript from the IRS.
  • Note: 2023-2024 FAFSA applicants must also include a a signed statement certifying they attempted to obtain the VNF from the IRS and were unable to obtain the required documentation.

Foreign Tax Return Filers

  1. Submit a transcript obtained at no cost from the relevant taxing authority of a U.S. territory (Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands) or commonwealth (Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands), or a foreign central government that includes all of the tax filer’s income and tax information required to be verified for the tax year.
  2. If a transcript cannot be obtained at no cost from the relevant taxing authority, submit a signed copy of the tax return and a signed statement from the student that they were unable to obtain the transcript at no cost.

Submit a Ticket

Details

Article ID: 89206
Created
Sat 10/12/19 7:19 AM
Modified
Fri 1/26/24 11:19 AM

Related Articles (2)

Learn more about what FAFSA Consent means.
How do I use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool? What happens is I am selected for verification? Learn the answers to these questions and more by reviewing this article.

Related Services / Offerings (1)

Submit a general question about financial aid, documents financial aid is requesting, or your financial aid offer.