Tax return transcripts are a record of your tax returns. Often, if your income or tax filing information needs to be validated, tax transcripts will help verify your information.

Tax return transcripts are different from the 1040 forms you submitted to the IRS as part of the filing process. The tax return transcripts are the preferred document for verifying tax information and in most cases will be required to complete verification. In certain cases a copy of your 1040 form which has been signed in ink may be sufficient. It is best to consult with financial aid prior to sending in a copy of your 1040 to see if it will work in your situation.

If you are required to submit your Federal Tax Return Transcripts as part of this process, you can access this document online on the IRS website. Please note that the IRS has several different kinds of transcripts available, which report different kinds of information. Please make sure that you are requesting the correct documentation (usually a Tax Return Transcript) when submitting requests.