IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT)

What is the IRS DRT?

The IRS DRT allows students and parents who filed a U.S tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to transfer the data directly into their FAFSA.

If you are eligible to use the IRS DRT, we highly recommend using the tool for several reasons:

1. It is the easiest way to provide you tax information.
2. It reduces the amount of documents that the financial aid office may request.
3. It is the best way to ensuring that your FAFSA has accurate tax information.

If you use the IRS DRT to transfer your tax return information from the IRS, the information will not display on your FAFSA. For your protection, the answer to each question is replaced with "Transferred from the IRS."

The IRS DRT allows you to securely transfer original IRS tax return information, but not Form 1040X amended tax return information. If you filed a Form 1040X amended tax return, please contact our office to ensure that any information you corrected on Form 1040X is reflected in the amounts transferred to your FAFSA.

If you’re ineligible or otherwise choose not to use the IRS DRT to retrieve tax information, Vernon College might require a copy of your IRS Tax Return Transcript (or your parents’ IRS Tax Return Transcript, if you’re a dependent student).

Am I eligible to use the IRS DRT?

Most students and parents who filed a U.S tax return with the IRS are eligible to use the IRS DRT if they have already filed their taxes.

However, the following are a few scenarios in which students and parents are ineligible to use the IRS DRT:

1. The student/parent is married, and either the student/parent or his/her spouse filed as Married Filing Separately.
2. The student/parent is married, and either the student/parent or his/her spouse filed as Head of Household.
3. The parents’ marital status is "Unmarried and both legal parents living together."
4. The student/parent filed a Puerto Rican, foreign tax return, or an IRS Form 1040-NR or 1040NR-EZ.

Any students or parents who meet the above criteria will need to manually enter their tax return information. Additionally, students or parents who filed their tax returns electronically within the last three weeks or through the mail within the last 11 weeks, might need to manually enter their tax return information or return at a later date to transfer their tax return information into the FAFSA because their tax return information might not be available for transfer from the IRS.

When will my tax return information be available using the IRS DRT?

Electronic Tax Filers: In most cases, the IRS DRT is available within 2-3 weeks after the return has been accepted by the IRS.

Paper Tax Filers: In most cases, the IRS DRT is available within 8-11 weeks after the tax return has been accepted by the IRS.

How do I use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?

Students and parents who are eligible to use the IRS DRT can access it from within the FAFSA on the student or parent finances pages:

1. Click Link To IRS. (Note: if you have already used the IRS DRT to transfer your tax return information into your application, click the "view option to link to the IRS' hyperlink.)
2. Enter your FSA ID. (Note: The person whose tax information is being transferred should enter his or her own FSA ID. Students will not be asked to enter their FSA ID if they entered an FSA ID to begin their FAFSA.)
3. Your FAFSA will be saved and you will be transferred to the IRS Web site.
4. On the IRS Web site, enter the requested information exactly as it appears on your tax return. If you get an error that there's no match, double check your information, including the exact mailing address on your return.
5. Once authenticated with the IRS, you will be provided with information surrounding your IRS tax information. You can either transfer your information from the IRS, or choose to return to FAFSA on the Web.