How to Get Copies of Tax Returns and Transcripts

To get copies of tax returns and transcripts from the IRS, decide first which one you actually need: a free transcript, which summarizes your return data and arrives online in minutes or by mail in about a week, or a full photocopy of the return you filed, which costs $30 per year and takes up to 75 days to process. Most lenders, government programs, and schools accept transcripts, so unless a court, auditor, or attorney specifically asks for the full document, the transcript is the faster and cheaper answer.¹

Which Transcript You Need

The IRS offers five transcript types, all free. Each shows different data, so picking the right one matters.

Tax Return Transcript. Shows most line items from your original Form 1040 as filed, along with forms and schedules. It does not reflect amendments or later IRS adjustments. This is the one mortgage lenders usually ask for.
Tax Account Transcript. Shows filing status, taxable income, payment types, and any changes made after filing. Use it to confirm payments or adjustments.
Record of Account Transcript. Combines the Tax Return Transcript and the Tax Account Transcript in one document.
Wage and Income Transcript. Shows data from information returns filed about you, such as W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, and 5498s. Limited to roughly 85 documents per year.
Verification of Non-Filing Letter. Confirms the IRS has no record of a processed return for a given year. Some programs require this when you claim you didn’t file.¹

Getting a Transcript Online

The fastest route is your IRS Individual Online Account. Once you’re logged in, you can view, print, or download any of the five transcript types immediately.² Use this method when a lender needs your records within days.

The gate on the online route is identity verification. The IRS uses ID.me. New users provide a photo of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) and take a selfie with a smartphone or webcam.³ If the automated check fails, ID.me routes you to a video call with a live agent for manual verification. You can also pick the video call upfront.⁴ Once verified, your account works across other IRS tools without repeating the process.

Getting a Transcript by Mail or Phone

If you can’t or won’t create an online account, use the IRS “Get Transcript by Mail” tool at irs.gov, which handles Tax Return Transcripts and Tax Account Transcripts without an account. You can also call the automated transcript line at 800-908-9946. Both mail the transcript to the address the IRS has on file for you, and delivery takes 5 to 10 calendar days.¹

One trap here: transcripts ordered by mail or phone go only to your address of record.⁵ If you’ve moved and haven’t updated the IRS, file Form 8822 (Change of Address) first, or use the online account instead. Form 4506-T is a third option; you mail it in to request transcripts, including types and years the phone and web tools don’t cover.

Requesting a Full Copy of a Tax Return

Full copies are paper only. Download Form 4506 from irs.gov, complete it, and mail it with a $30 check or money order payable to “United States Treasury.” Write your Social Security Number and “Form 4506 request” on the payment.⁶

The mailing address depends on where you lived when you filed. Individual return requests go to one of three processing centers:

Austin, TX 73301 (RAIVS Team, Stop 6716 AUSC), for Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, foreign addresses, and U.S. territories.
Ogden, UT 84409 (RAIVS Team, P.O. Box 9941, Mail Stop 6734), for Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Kansas City, MO 64999 (RAIVS Team, Stop 6705 S2), for Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Processing runs up to 75 calendar days, so plan around any court date or financial deadline.⁶ If a transcript would satisfy your situation, use it instead.

How Far Back the IRS Goes

Transcript availability depends on type. Tax Return Transcripts and Record of Account Transcripts cover the current year and three prior tax years. Tax Account Transcripts reach further, up to nine prior years through the online account, but only three prior years through mail or phone. Wage and Income Transcripts also cover the current and nine prior years. Verification of Non-Filing Letters are available for the current year (after June 15) and three prior years.¹

Full copies through Form 4506 reach back further. The IRS keeps copies of Form 1040 returns for seven years from the filing date before destroying them by law.⁶ Anything older than seven years is not available from the IRS in either format.

When a Just-Filed Return Becomes Available

A transcript for a return you just submitted will not appear right away. Timing depends on how you filed and whether you owed:

E-filed with a refund or zero balance: allow 2 to 3 weeks after submission.
E-filed with a balance paid in full at filing: allow 2 to 3 weeks.
E-filed with a balance paid after filing: allow 3 to 4 weeks after full payment.
Paper-filed with a refund or zero balance: allow 6 to 8 weeks after mailing.

If you e-filed with an unpaid balance, the IRS processes the return in mid-May, and the transcript is generally available by late May.⁷ Build these windows into any mortgage closing or verification deadline.

Letting a Lender or Third Party Pull Records

When a mortgage lender needs your transcript, you generally don’t request it and hand it over. The IRS runs an Income Verification Express Service (IVES) that lets authorized lenders pull tax data electronically. You sign Form 4506-C to authorize the lender’s IVES request.⁸ Most applicants encounter this form during the loan file rather than ordering transcripts themselves.

To let an accountant, financial planner, or family member see your tax information without granting power of attorney, use Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization). Your designee can inspect or receive your confidential tax information for the specific years you list, but cannot represent you before the IRS or make decisions for you.⁹ If you need someone to speak for you and handle IRS matters, that’s Form 2848, Power of Attorney.

Records for a Deceased Taxpayer

If you’re the executor, administrator, or personal representative of someone who has died, you can obtain their tax records, but you have to prove your authority. The IRS requires the deceased person’s full name, last address, and Social Security Number; a copy of the death certificate; and either court-approved Letters Testamentary or Form 56 (Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship) with any court-approved Letters Testamentary.¹⁰

With the authorization documents in hand, use Form 4506-T to request transcripts by mail, or Form 4506 with the $30 fee for full copies. The online account tools are not available for a deceased person’s records, so plan for mail time. If the IRS has the deceased person’s old address on file and you need records sent somewhere else, file Form 8822 (Change of Address) with either Form 2848 or Form 56 attached.¹⁰

Fee Waivers After a Federally Declared Disaster

If you live in an area under a federal disaster declaration, the IRS waives the $30 fee for full copies. The waiver also covers businesses in the disaster area, relief workers assisting there, and anyone whose tax records were located in the disaster zone even if they lived elsewhere.¹¹

To claim the waiver, write the FEMA disaster declaration number in bold at the top of your Form 4506 or Form 4506-T before mailing. The number is specific to each disaster event and appears in the IRS news release announcing the relief.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Whatever method you pick, you’ll need your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, date of birth, filing status, and the mailing address from your most recent return. Online access also requires a government-issued photo ID and a device with a camera for ID.me verification.¹²

If any of these have changed since your last filing, especially your address, the IRS may reject the request or send records to the wrong place. Update your address using Form 8822 before requesting records if you’ve moved. Be precise about the tax year on every form: request the wrong year and you start over.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them
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Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts
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Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services
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Internal Revenue Service. Accessibility and Compatibility Features for Signing In and Creating an Account
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Internal Revenue Service. Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return
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Internal Revenue Service. Form 4506 – Request for Copy of Tax Return
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Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Availability
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Internal Revenue Service. Income Verification Express Service (IVES)
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Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8821
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Internal Revenue Service. Request Deceased Person’s Information
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Announces Tax Relief for Taxpayers Impacted by Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides in the State of Washington
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Internal Revenue Service. How to Register for IRS Online Self-Help Tools