The information provided on this page offers the financial aid administrator (FAA) useful information that can be referenced and applied when completing verification, resolving conflicting information or advising students.

Publication 17 — Your Federal Income Tax for Individuals (296 pages)
This publication covers the general rules for filing a federal income tax return. Publication 17 is a comprehensive tax guide that details many topics from filing status to reporting of foreign earned income and much more. Many of the subjects discussed in this publication are discussed in greater detail in other IRS publications.

Publication 501 — Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information (27 pages)
This publication specifically addresses the issues identified by ED as fundamental tax knowledge for the FAA. Publication 501 answers some basic questions of who must file, who should file, what filing status to use, how many exemptions to claim, and the amount of the standard deduction. Due to the fact that Publication 501 is significantly shorter than Publication 17 and it covers the requirements from ED, we strongly recommend that the FAA become familiar with the information contained in this publication.

Contacting the IRS
Visit the IRS web site at www.irs.gov. Call the IRS Customer Service Center with questions 1-800-TAX 1040 (829-1040).

Or, call the IRS Tele-Tax Topic line at: 1-800-829-4477 to get pre-recorded messages covering a large array of tax topics.

The preceding topics are found in the category of Filing Requirements, Filing Status, and Exemptions. Each topic is followed by a corresponding topic number. To access your topic, select the three-digit number.

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Tax Benefits of Paying for College