Should I use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) for FAFSA®?
Although the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Data Retrieval Tool makes it easier for students and parents to input their tax return information directly into the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), there are things you should keep in mind about eligibility to use the tool and the decision of whether to use it or not. Continue reading to learn more about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
What’s the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
This tool allows students and parents who filed a U.S. tax return with the IRS to access their tax return information needed to complete the FAFSA® and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan requests by transferring income data directly into their forms.
Who can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
According to Federal Student Aid (FSA), most students and parents are eligible to use the Data Retrieval Tool if they’ve already filed a U.S. tax return with the IRS.
However, those who fall into some scenarios, among others, may be ineligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Those scenarios include:
- The student or parent is married, and either the student or parent or their spouse filed their taxes as “Married Filing Separately”
- The student or parent is married, and either the student or parent or their spouse filed their taxes as “Head of Household”
- The parents’ marital status is “Unmarried” and both legal parents live together
- The student or parent filed a Puerto Rican tax return, foreign tax return, or an IRS Form 1040-NR
- The student or parent filed an amended tax return
- The student or parent doesn’t have a Social Security number
- The student or parent recently filed their tax return, and the information isn’t yet available for transfer from the IRS
Any students or parents who can’t use the tool must manually enter their tax return information when they file the FAFSA®.
Should you use the Data Retrieval Tool?
For students and parents adding their tax return information to the FAFSA®, there are pros and cons to using this tool.
Pros of using the Data Retrieval Tool
- The college application process can take up a lot of time, so using this tool speeds up the FAFSA® process by entering the information automatically, which is a huge plus.
- Because the Data Retrieval Tool pulls all your information electronically from your IRS tax filings, you don’t have to worry about accidentally mistyping information as you complete your form. This gives you peace of mind that your information has been submitted correctly and eliminates clerical mistakes that may take significant time to correct.
- Using the Data Retrieval Tool to file the FAFSA® will mean you won’t need to provide a copy of your or your parent’s tax returns to your college.
Cons of using the Data Retrieval Tool
- If you use the Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your tax return information from the IRS, the information won’t display on your FAFSA® form or IDR plan request form. For your protection, the answer to each question is replaced with "Transferred from the IRS." In other words, you won’t be able to see on the FAFSA® form if your information is accurate without going back to your IRS tax forms to ensure everything is correct.
- If mistakes are made during the data retrieval process, students and families will need to submit revisions or updates for each college they apply to and send their FAFSA® to. Depending on how many schools this is, this may be time-consuming.
- Students or parents who electronically filed their taxes in the three weeks before attempting to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or through the mail in the 11 weeks before attempting to use the tool might need to manually enter their tax return information or return later to transfer their information into the FAFSA® because their tax return information may not be available for transfer yet.
- If students or parents utilized Form 1040X to amend their tax return information, the Data Retrieval Tool won’t automatically pull the amended return information.
Final thoughts
Overall, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool can help expedite filing your FAFSA®. However, before deciding to utilize it, make sure you meet the requirements to use it and that your IRS tax return information is correct so you don’t have to go back and amend the information.