I’m in school, and I use FAFSA. I’m claimed as a dependent by my mother, so when we do our FAFSA’s we use her tax return information. Well, the 2020-2021 FAFSA is asking for her 2018 tax return transcript. The problem is, they won’t accept ours because it’s unsigned and they need an electronically signed one.
1) We cannot print it out, sign it, and send it back in as we’ve called the school and they said they haven’t gotten word that they can accept that. So it has to be electronically signed.
2) We’ve tried going through Turbo Tax but they give us the unsigned doc.
3) Tried going on the IRS website but a section of the things required to get a transcript is “personal account number from a credit card, mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit or car loan” we have NONE of those things, so we can’t proceed. I’ve also tried calling the IRS and due to being short staffed, no one can speak with me live, as they referred me back to the website.
I need help, if I don’t complete this FAFSA me and my sister will be getting kicked out of college.
It sounds like you are dealing with someone who is ignorant about how e-filing works. When you e-filed your return, it was "signed" electronically. There is no physical signature on the "sign here" line. if they want a signed copy, you can use a pen and just sign it there for them. Somehow, in the age of millions of taxpayers filing electronically, college bureaucrats are often clueless about how it works.
If you look through the pdf you saved when you save the return, there should be a page that shows you filed electronically. That might satisfy the school's desire for a "signed" copy.
The only way possible anyone (not just the college) is going to get a tax return that is signed (electronic or not) is if you take a pen and physically sign it. Period. It seems quite apparent to me that you're dealing with someone at the college who is either clueless, or is not allowed to think for themselves and produce a self-induced thought at the risk of losing their job for having the audacity to do so.
If you really want to catch them with their "pants down" ask them to show you "ANY" tax return that is "electronically signed".
I submitted the tax return normally and they denied it because they said “I need a transcript and not an unsigned tax return”, I called the financial aid department twice and both people said it needs to be signed, I asked them if I could print it out, sign it, and send it in and they both said no. They said they haven’t gotten word from management or the FAFSA departments that they can accept anything besides the tax return being electronically signed.” I don’t know what to do
They want a transcript?
You can get a free transcript from the IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript