2021verificationfaqs | Student Financial Aid

2020-2021 Verifications FAQs

II you have questions regarding how to retrieve IRS documents, or if you have an unusual filing circumstance, the following FAQs may be of assistance.

How can I request a 2018 Tax Return Transcript from the IRS?

There are 4 different ways to request a Tax Return Transcript (make sure that you request a “Tax Transcript” and NOT an Account Transcript).

Get Transcript by Mail – Go to www.irs.gov, click "Get Your Tax Record.” Scroll down to “Request by Mail.” The transcript is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS’s receipt of the online request.

Get Transcript Online – Go to www.irs.gov, click "Get Your Tax Record." Click “Get Transcript Online.” To use the Get Transcript Online tool, the user must have (1) access to a valid email address, (2) a text-enabled mobile phone (pay-as-you-go plans cannot be used) in the user’s name, and (3) specific financial account numbers (such as a credit card number or an account number for a home mortgage or auto loan). The transcript displays online upon successful completion of the IRS’s two-step authentication.
Automated Telephone Request – 1-800-908-9946. Transcript is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS’s receipt of the telephone request.
Paper Request Form – IRS Form 4506T-EZ or IRS Form 4506-T (available from the IRS web site). The transcript is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS’s receipt of the paper request form.

How can I request a 2018 Verification of Non-Filing Letter from the IRS?

There are 2 different ways to request a Non-Filing Letter.

Get Non-Filing Letter by Mail – Go to www.irs.gov, click "Get Your Tax Record.” Scroll down to “Request by Mail.” The Non-Filing Letter is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS’s receipt of the online request.
Paper Request Form – IRS IRS Form 4506-T (available from the IRS web site). The Non-Filing Letter is generally received within 10 business days from the IRS’s receipt of the paper request form.

What if I filed an extension for filing my 2018 taxes?

An individual, who is required to file a 2018 IRS income tax return and has been granted a filing extension by the IRS beyond the automatic six-month extension for tax year 2018, must provide:

A copy of IRS Form 4868, ‘‘Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,’’ that was filed with the IRS for tax year 2018;
A copy of the IRS's approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension for tax year 2018;
Verification of Non-filing letter (confirmation that the tax return has not yet been filed) from the IRS or other relevant tax authority dated on or after October 1, 2018;
A copy of IRS Form W–2 for each source of employment income received or an equivalent document for tax year 2018; and
If self-employed, a signed statement certifying the amount of the individual’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and the U.S. income tax paid for tax year 2018.

What if I filed an Amended IRS Income Tax Return?

An individual who filed an amended IRS income tax return for tax year 2018 must provide a signed copy of the 2018 IRS Form 1040X, “Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,” that was filed with the IRS or documentation from the IRS that include the change(s) made by the IRS, in addition to one of the following:

IRS DRT information on an ISIR record with all tax information from the original tax return; or
A 2018 IRS Tax Return Transcript(that will only include information from the original tax return and does not have to be signed), or any other IRS tax transcript(s) that includes all of the income and tax information required to be verified.

What if I was a victim of IRS Tax-Related Identity Theft?

An individual who was the victim of IRS tax-related identity theft must provide:

A Tax Return DataBase View (TRDBV) transcript obtained from the IRS, or any other IRS tax transcript(s) that includes all of the 2018 income and tax information required to be verified; and
A statement signed and dated by the tax filer indicating that he or she was a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and that the IRS is aware of the tax-related identity theft.

What if I filed a Non-IRS Income Tax Return?

A tax filer who filed an income tax return with Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands may provide a signed copy of his or her income tax return that was filed with the relevant tax authority. However, if we question the accuracy of the information on the signed copy of the income tax return, the tax filer must provide us with a copy of the tax account information issued by the relevant tax authority before verification can be completed.
A tax filer who filed an income tax return with the tax authority for American Samoa must provide a copy of his or her tax account information.
A tax filer who filed an income tax return with tax authorities not mentioned above, i.e., a foreign tax authority, and who indicated that he or she is unable to obtain the tax account information free of charge, must provide documentation that the tax authority charges a fee to obtain that information, along with a signed copy of his or her income tax return that was filed with the relevant tax authority.

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If any of the above answers are unclear, or you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.