Which tax documents FAFSA requires

FAFSA for 2024–25 asks for information from your 2023 tax return. You do not need to submit the actual return documents, but you will need to know numbers from them — or you can link your IRS account directly to FAFSA and let the form pull the data automatically.

If you filed taxes in 2023, you will report either your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), your income and tax paid, or specific line items depending on your filing status. If you did not file taxes in 2023 but had income, you will report that income on FAFSA even though you did not file a return.

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is the fastest route: it connects FAFSA directly to your IRS account and fills in your tax information without you typing it. You can use it if you filed a 2023 federal tax return and have an IRS online account set up.

Key Takeaways

  • You need numbers from your 2023 tax return, but you do not have to upload the documents themselves — FAFSA pulls them from the IRS if you use the Data Retrieval Tool.
  • If you filed taxes, you will report your AGI and tax paid; if you did not file but had income, you report the income amount on FAFSA anyway.
  • The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is the fastest method and requires an IRS online account, which you can create at IRS.gov.
  • If you cannot use the Data Retrieval Tool, you will type the numbers from your tax return into FAFSA by hand, so keep your return or a copy nearby.
  • If your parents are helping pay for school, you will also need their 2023 tax information using the same process.

How to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is built into FAFSA and works only if you have an IRS online account. To set one up, go to IRS.gov, click "Sign in to your account," and follow the steps to create a login. You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and a valid mailing address on file with the IRS.

Once your IRS account is ready, start your FAFSA form. When you reach the section asking for income information, FAFSA will offer you the option to "Link to IRS." Click that button, log in with your IRS credentials, and the form will automatically fill in your AGI, income, and taxes paid from your 2023 return. The whole process takes a few minutes.

If you are a dependent student, your parents will do the same thing separately using their own IRS accounts and their own FAFSA login. They do not enter information on your form; they complete their own parent section of FAFSA with their own credentials.

Entering tax information by hand if you cannot use the Data Retrieval Tool

If you do not have an IRS online account or cannot link to it, you will type your tax numbers into FAFSA manually. You will need your 2023 Form 1040 (the main federal tax return form) or a copy of it. The numbers FAFSA asks for depend on your filing status and whether you filed jointly with a spouse.

For most filers, FAFSA will ask for your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), which appears on line 11 of Form 1040. If you filed a joint return with a spouse, you will report the combined AGI. If you are self-employed or had business income, you may also need to report net income from self-employment, which comes from Schedule C.

Keep your 2023 tax return or a printed copy in front of you while filling out FAFSA. Do not estimate or round numbers — type them exactly as they appear on your return. If you filed taxes but cannot locate your return, you can order a transcript from the IRS by calling 1-800-829-1040 or visiting IRS.gov.

What to do if you did not file taxes in 2023

If you had income in 2023 but did not file a federal tax return, you still report that income on FAFSA. FAFSA will ask you to enter your total income for the year — wages, self-employment income, or other earnings — even though you did not file.

You will also need to report how much tax you paid, if any. If you had taxes withheld from paychecks, that amount appears on your W-2 form in box 2. If you did not have taxes withheld and did not pay any, you will enter zero.

If you are unsure whether you were required to file taxes in 2023, the IRS has a tool on IRS.gov that walks through filing requirements based on your age, income, and filing status. Having filed or not filed does not change your FAFSA may be able to access — you report what you earned either way.

Parent tax information for dependent students

If you are a dependent student, FAFSA also needs your parents' 2023 tax information. Your parents will use the same process: either the IRS Data Retrieval Tool with their own IRS account, or they will enter their numbers by hand from their 2023 return.

Your parents do not fill out a separate form. Instead, they log into FAFSA using their own email address and complete the parent section of the form. FAFSA will ask for their AGI, income, and taxes paid, the same way it asks for yours. If your parents are married and filed jointly, they report the combined numbers from their joint return.

If your parents are divorced or separated, only the parent you live with most of the time reports their information on FAFSA — unless your school has different rules, which you can check with their financial aid office.

Tax documents for non-U.S. citizens and international students

If you are not a U.S. citizen, FAFSA still asks for income information, but the documents you use depend on your immigration status. If you have a Social Security number and filed a U.S. tax return in 2023, you use the same process as any other filer.

If you do not have a Social Security number or did not file a U.S. return, FAFSA will ask you to report your income using other documents — such as a bank statement, pay stub, or tax return from your home country. The exact documents vary by school, so contact your school's financial aid office before you start FAFSA to ask what they will accept.

What happens if your tax information changes after you submit FAFSA

If you filed FAFSA using estimated numbers and your actual 2023 tax return was different, you can update FAFSA. Log back in, make the corrections, and save the changes. Your school's financial aid office will see the updated information.

If the IRS Data Retrieval Tool pulled your information but you later amend your 2023 tax return, you will need to update FAFSA by hand with the corrected numbers. The Data Retrieval Tool does not automatically pull amended returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to upload my actual tax return to FAFSA?

No. FAFSA pulls the numbers from the IRS if you use the Data Retrieval Tool, or you type them in by hand. You do not submit the document itself. Some schools may ask to see your return later during verification, but that is separate from the FAFSA form.

What if I do not have an IRS account and cannot create one?

You can enter your tax information by hand using your 2023 Form 1040 or a transcript from the IRS. Call 1-800-829-1040 to order a transcript if you cannot find your return. Entering numbers manually takes longer but works just as well for FAFSA purposes.

Can I use my 2024 tax return instead of 2023?

No. FAFSA for 2024–25 uses 2023 tax information only. When you file FAFSA for 2025–26, you will use your 2024 return. Using the wrong year's return will cause errors in your FAFSA.

What if my parents are divorced — whose taxes do I report?

Report the taxes of the parent you live with most of the time. If you split time equally, ask your school's financial aid office which parent to use. Some schools have different rules, so it is worth checking before you fill out the parent section.

Do I need to report income my parents gave me as a gift?

No. Gifts are not income and do not go on FAFSA. Report only income your parents earned — wages, self-employment, investment income, and so on. If you are unsure whether something counts as income, ask your school's financial aid office.