How Can Clients Prepare Today for Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan?

The Department of Education has announced that an application to apply for student loan forgiveness under President Biden's new plan will be active within a matter of weeks. To prepare, clients should first check their student loans to see if they have received a Pell grant (which can increase the amount of forgiveness and the client's online account at studentaid.gov should have information about Pell grant receipt). They should also check their tax returns to see if they qualify for forgiveness in the first place. Only taxpayers with income below the $125,000/$250,000 thresholds will qualify. Taxpayers can qualify if their income was below the limit in 2020 or 2021. The relevant number is the taxpayer's adjusted gross income for the year. All student borrowers should evaluate whether they qualify for repayment assistance or an income-based repayment plan, as Biden has also announced that the extension of the student loan repayment pause through year-end will be the final extension. For more information on the tax treatment of student loans, visit Tax Facts Online. : Q 8048.