To get your adjusted gross income, look at line 11 of your most recent Form 1040. If you don’t have the return handy, sign in to your IRS Individual Online Account or pull a free Tax Return Transcript from the IRS; both show the same figure within minutes. AGI is your total income minus certain deductions the tax code lets you subtract, such as student loan interest and retirement contributions, before your final tax is calculated.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 62 – Adjusted Gross Income Defined You’ll typically need it to e-file a new return, apply for a mortgage, complete the FAFSA, or qualify for certain tax credits.
Find It on Your Last Tax Return
On the standard Form 1040, AGI sits on line 11.2Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income Nonresident filers using Form 1040-NR will find it on line 11a.3Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Form 1040-NR Older returns used different line numbers, so if you’re pulling a return from 2019 or earlier, check the label next to each line rather than the number alone. AGI was on line 8b in 2019 and line 7 in 2018.
Self-employment doesn’t change where the number appears. Schedule C earnings flow into your gross income, the deductible portion of your self-employment tax is subtracted as an adjustment on Schedule 1, and the final AGI still lands on line 11.4Internal Revenue Service. Definition of Adjusted Gross Income
Married couples who filed jointly share one AGI. The figure is not divided between spouses. Whenever either spouse needs to supply AGI, whether for e-file verification or a lender, both use the same number from the joint return.5Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return
Look It Up in Your IRS Online Account
If you don’t have your return, the fastest option is your IRS Individual Online Account. After you sign in, open the Records and Status tab, pick the tax year, and your prior-year AGI appears on screen.2Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income Nothing gets mailed. Nothing has to be ordered.
Setting up the account takes one extra step the first time: identity verification through ID.me. You’ll need a photo of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) and either a selfie or a live video chat with an ID.me agent.6Internal Revenue Service. How to Register for IRS Online Self-Help Tools After that, you can get back in anytime without redoing it.
Order a Free Tax Transcript
A Tax Return Transcript shows most line items from your original Form 1040 as filed, AGI included. The IRS provides it free for the current year and the three prior years.7Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them It’s normally enough for mortgage lenders and other institutions that ask for income verification.
The quickest way to get one is the “Get Transcript Online” tool, which uses the same ID.me verification described above. Once you’re in, choose “Tax Return Transcript” and the year, and the file downloads immediately.8Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts
If you can’t complete online verification, you have two other free routes. Use “Get Transcript by Mail” on the IRS site, or call the automated line at 800-908-9946. Both mail the transcript to the address the IRS has on file, and delivery takes about 5 to 10 calendar days.8Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts Peak filing season can add a few days.
One caveat: a Tax Return Transcript reflects your original return, not any amendments. If you filed Form 1040-X afterward, the transcript will still show the original figures. A Tax Account Transcript, available through the same tool, captures post-filing changes.7Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them
If you recently filed and want the AGI from that return, give it time. After e-filing, wait two to three weeks before requesting a transcript for the return you just submitted.9Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Availability Paper returns take longer, sometimes several weeks beyond that.
Do You Need a Full Copy of the Return?
A transcript isn’t a photocopy. If a court or agency specifically demands an exact copy of the return as filed, you’ll need Form 4506, which costs $30 per year requested and can take up to 75 days to process.10Internal Revenue Service. Request for Copy of Tax Return For AGI lookup, mortgage applications, and most other purposes, the free transcript is enough.
When Your AGI Won’t Verify for E-Filing
Tax software asks for your prior-year AGI to confirm your identity when you e-file. A few situations trip this up.
The IRS Rejected Your Return for AGI Mismatch
Check that you entered the figure exactly as it appears on last year’s return. Even a one-dollar rounding difference can cause a rejection.11Internal Revenue Service. IND-031-04 If you amended last year, try the AGI from your original return rather than the 1040-X, since the IRS validation system typically matches against the original.
You Didn’t File Last Year, or Your Return Is Still Being Processed
First-time filers over age 16, and anyone who didn’t file the prior year, should enter $0 as the prior-year AGI.5Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return The same $0 applies if your prior-year return hasn’t finished processing yet.
Use an IP PIN Instead
An Identity Protection PIN replaces the AGI requirement in your tax software. Enter a valid IP PIN and you can skip AGI verification entirely.5Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return Request one through the IRS “Get an IP PIN” tool after verifying your identity; the IRS issues a new PIN each year.