For the 2026–27 FAFSA, the tax information needed is your 2024 federal income tax return (IRS Form 1040 or 1040-NR), and for dependent students, the 2024 return of each parent who counts as a contributor. In most cases you won’t type the numbers yourself: the IRS transfers them directly into the form once every contributor consents. You’ll still want the return in front of you for reference, along with records of any child support received in 2024.
Why 2024 Is the Tax Year You Need
The FAFSA looks back two years. For the 2026–27 cycle, that means 2024 income and tax data.1Federal Student Aid. Why Do I Have to Submit My 2024 Tax and Income Information on My 2026-27 FAFSA Form The lag exists so families can use a completed return instead of estimates. If your 2024 return was filed on time, every figure the form needs is already on record with the IRS.
Whose Tax Information You Have to Gather
The FAFSA calls anyone required to supply financial data a “contributor.” Which returns you need depends on whether you’re a dependent or independent student.
If you’re a dependent undergraduate, both your own 2024 tax data and a parent’s are required. When your parents are married and living together, both appear on the form. If they’re divorced or separated and living apart, the parent who provided the greater share of your financial support is the one who reports; when support is even, the higher-earning parent reports. A stepparent married to the reporting parent is also a contributor and must supply their own 2024 return.2Federal Student Aid. Dependency Status
You’re independent if, by December 31 of the award year, you’re 24 or older, married and not separated, a veteran or active-duty service member, in a graduate or professional program, supporting legal dependents, or if you were at any time since age 13 an orphan, ward of the court, in foster care, an emancipated minor, or an unaccompanied homeless youth.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 20 U.S. Code 1087vv – Definitions Independent students provide only their own tax data, plus a spouse’s return if married.
The Tax Documents and Figures to Have Ready
Each contributor should pull the following before starting the form:4Federal Student Aid. FAFSA Checklist: What Students Need
- The 2024 federal income tax return (Form 1040 or 1040-NR).
- A StudentAid.gov account, created with the contributor’s Social Security number.
- The total amount of child support received in 2024, if any. The FAFSA counts it as an asset of the person who received it.5Federal Student Aid Knowledge Center. Chapter 2 Filling Out the FAFSA Form
- W-2 forms and any 1099 statements. You don’t need them for the initial submission if you filed a return, because the IRS transfer pulls your income figures directly. Hold onto them anyway. Schools that select you for verification almost always ask for them.
If you lost your return, you can order a free transcript from the IRS online, by phone at 800-908-9946, or by mailing Form 4506-T.6Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them
The IRS Data Exchange and Why Consent Matters
The modern FAFSA uses the FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange to pull your tax information straight from IRS records.7Internal Revenue Service. Tax Information for Federal Student Aid Applications The transfer covers adjusted gross income, income tax paid, filing status, income earned from work, tax-exempt interest, untaxed IRA distributions, and education credits.5Federal Student Aid Knowledge Center. Chapter 2 Filling Out the FAFSA Form That’s the bulk of what the form asks about from your return.
Here’s the catch. Every contributor on the form must consent to that transfer. If even one parent refuses, the application is rejected and the student loses eligibility for all federal aid until that person consents.8U.S. Department of Education. FAFSA Simplification Act Changes for Implementation in 2024-25 Consent is also required from contributors who didn’t file a return, so the IRS can confirm the non-filing status.4Federal Student Aid. FAFSA Checklist: What Students Need There is no workaround inside the form. Families dealing with an uncooperative parent should contact the school’s financial aid office about a dependency override.
If You Have To Enter Tax Data by Hand
The IRS transfer sometimes fails, usually because of an amended return, a processing error, or an identity mismatch. In that case you’ll type the figures yourself from Form 1040:
- Adjusted gross income: line 11
- Income tax paid: line 24
- Income earned from work: line 1z, plus Schedule 1 lines 3 and 6
- Education credits: line 29, plus Schedule 3 line 3
- Tax-exempt interest: line 2a
- Untaxed IRA distributions: line 4a minus line 4b
Manually entered data works for calculating your Student Aid Index, but the Department of Education doesn’t treat it as verified.5Federal Student Aid Knowledge Center. Chapter 2 Filling Out the FAFSA Form Your school will likely follow up to confirm the numbers, so keep the return within reach.
If You or a Parent Didn’t File a 2024 Return
Non-filers still consent to the IRS data exchange so the system can confirm no return was filed. If you’re later selected for verification as a non-filer, expect to provide an IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter. Non-filers who earned wages should keep W-2s and 1099s available in case the school requests them.
Tax Documents That Come Back Later
After you submit, some applications are pulled for verification. Schools may ask for signed copies of the tax return, IRS tax transcripts, W-2s, or documentation of non-filing status. Each school sets its own deadline, and missing it can cost you the entire aid package. Keep the return and the wage statements filed away until aid is disbursed.
Tax data pulled through the IRS exchange can’t be edited on the FAFSA after submission. If you filed an amended return (Form 1040-X) and the FAFSA needs to reflect the change, contact the financial aid office; the school can adjust the data on its end when appropriate.5Federal Student Aid Knowledge Center. Chapter 2 Filling Out the FAFSA Form If your household’s finances have shifted sharply since 2024 (a job loss, divorce, disability, or death of a wage earner), ask about a professional judgment review. The aid administrator can adjust individual data elements with documentation such as recent pay stubs, a termination letter, or a written explanation.9Federal Student Aid. What Is Professional Judgment