Financial Aid Office

IRS Data Retrieval Tool

Beginning in late February, the FAFSA will now provide filers with the option of retrieving certain relevant data elements (such as adjusted gross income) directly from the IRS tax database.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible you must:

• have a valid SSN (for student and parent(s), when applicable);
• have filed a 2012 tax return* (retrieval will be possible approximately 3 weeks from filing an electronic return and 10 weeks from filing a paper return);
• have an unchanged marital status (for student and/or parent(s), when applicable) since December 31, 2011.*

• married individuals (student or parents) who filed separately;
• anyone who filed an amended tax return;
• anyone who filed a Puerto Rican or foreign tax return.
  

How to Use Data Retrieval

If you are eligible, you can execute the retrieval from within the FAFSA site while completing an initial application, renewal application, or correction to an existing application. FAFSA will ask questions to help you determine if you are able to use the Data Retrieval Tool and walk you through the data match process. If you are correcting an existing application, be sure to always make updates to the most recent transaction.

At this time, students and parent(s) who use the Data Retrieval Tool and do not make subsequent changes to the transferred information reduce the likelihood of being selected for verification, and will not be selected to verify their tax-related information or be required to submit tax transcripts for verification purposes if they are selected. (You may still be required to submit documentation of non-tax data elements, such as amount of child support paid or food stamp eligibility.)

If you are unable to use the IRS DRT, you may request a copy of your tax transcript online:

*Dates listed are for the 2013-14 academic year. Subtract one year for 2012-13 requirements.