FAFSA before filing 09 taxes? Forum

[charcop]

I'm still waiting to receive my forms so I can do my taxes but would like to do my FAFSA asap. I already started the application but it asks me for my 2009 taxes paid. Since I don't have my W-2 yet, can I guesstimate this since they are close to my 2008 taxes? Or do I have to wait until I have the exact number after I file my taxes?

[skynet]

I believe you can estimate if you are pretty confident in your guess.

[thalassocrat]

I'm still waiting to receive my forms so I can do my taxes but would like to do my FAFSA asap. I already started the application but it asks me for my 2009 taxes paid. Since I don't have my W-2 yet, can I guesstimate this since they are close to my 2008 taxes? Or do I have to wait until I have the exact number after I file my taxes?

If you know how much you made last year, you can probably find the amount of taxes you'd owe online somewhere, and make sure you're in the same bracket if you just want to use the 2008 taxes. You can use that to fill out the FAFSA, then submit a correction if it's different after filing your taxes.

[angioletto]

You can do an estimate and then submit a corrected FAFSA after you have your actual numbers if you were way off, but I don't see why you'd want to. I don't think submitting your FAFSA 2-3 weeks earlier is going to make much of a difference so you are probably better off waiting for your W2's.