IRS tax transcript online or by mail
Download an available personal tax transcript from your Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Individual Online Account. If online access is unavailable, request an eligible transcript by mail or automated phone service. Transcripts are free and differ from a full photocopy of a return.
How do I get an IRS transcript online?
Sign in to your Individual Online Account, open Tax Records, and select transcripts. Choose the record type and year that the receiving organization needs. View, download, or print an available record.
The IRS account supports registration through Login.gov or ID.me. If you cannot complete identity verification, use the mail or phone route for the types it offers. Creating a second account is not necessary merely because a particular tax year has not yet appeared.
Which tax transcript should I request?
A tax return transcript shows most information from the original return as filed. It does not show later account changes. A tax account transcript includes account information and changes made after filing. A record of account combines those two views.
A wage and income transcript shows information returns the IRS received, such as W-2s and 1099s. A verification of non-filing letter answers whether the IRS has a processed return on record. Ask the organization requesting evidence which type it will accept before ordering.
How many tax years are available?
A return transcript and record of account generally cover the current and three prior tax years. Online account transcripts generally reach the current and nine prior years, subject to availability. The years available by mail or automated phone can be more limited.
For a year or record not offered by the standard online or mail menu, review Form 4506-T. If you need a full copy of the actual return rather than transcript information, Form 4506 is a different request and has its own fee and processing rules.
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Use Get Transcript by Mail or call 800-908-9946 to order the return or account transcript types available through that service. You need the mailing address from your latest return, and delivery goes to the address the IRS has on file.
Allow five to ten calendar days for delivery. Form 4506-T is another mail request route for the transcript types listed in its instructions. Keep the selected tax year and transcript type with your request so you can identify what should arrive.
Why is my current-year transcript unavailable?
Availability depends on return processing, filing method, and whether there was a balance due. An absent record is not automatically a lost return. Some information-return documents may not yet have reached the IRS.
A wage and income transcript can only include forms actually filed with the IRS. If a requested record is not yet available, follow the availability guidance rather than treating an incomplete transcript as the entire set of income documents you received.
Should I use a transcript to track my refund?
Use Where’s My Refund for refund progress. The IRS says transcripts are primarily tax records for purposes such as income verification and tax preparation; ordering one does not accelerate a refund.
For an amendment, distinguish the amended-return tracking service from the transcript that documents later account changes. Choose the tool for the question: whether a payment is progressing, or what tax information is recorded.
FAQ
Does a transcript show my full Social Security number?
IRS transcripts partially mask personal identifying information while leaving financial information visible for permitted uses.
Is a verification of non-filing letter proof that I did not need to file?
No. It states that the IRS has no record of a processed return as of the request date, not whether you had a filing requirement.