How to Get Your AGI From the IRS Online or by Mail

To get your AGI from the IRS, sign in to your Individual Online Account at IRS.gov to view it on screen, or request a free tax transcript by phone or by mail. Your adjusted gross income sits on Line 11 of the Form 1040 you filed last year, and the IRS keeps that figure on file so you can retrieve it whenever you need it for e-filing or identity verification.1Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income

Most people need this number because the IRS uses last year’s AGI to confirm your identity before it accepts an electronically filed return.2Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return

Check Last Year’s Return First

Before contacting the IRS, look at the federal return you filed last year. On Form 1040, your AGI is on Line 11.1Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income If you filed with software like TurboTax or H&R Block, log in to that account and open last year’s return in your filing history.

One catch matters here. The IRS verifies e-filers against the AGI from the return you originally submitted. If you later amended that return on Form 1040-X, use the original AGI, not the corrected one. Entering the amended figure can cause the IRS to reject your new return.3Internal Revenue Service. IND-031-04

View It Instantly in Your IRS Online Account

If you don’t have a copy of last year’s return, the fastest option is your IRS Individual Online Account. Once you sign in at IRS.gov, you can see key return information (including your AGI) and download transcripts without waiting on the mail.4Internal Revenue Service. Online Account for Individuals

Creating the account runs through ID.me, the identity verification service the IRS uses. You’ll need a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport, and you’ll verify either by selfie or by live video chat with an ID.me agent.5Internal Revenue Service. How to Register for IRS Online Self-Help Tools

After you’re authenticated, choose the transcript you need. A Tax Return Transcript lists most line items from your original filing, including AGI, and is enough for e-file verification. If you want a picture that also includes later changes to your account, request a Record of Account transcript.6Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them Both are available online for the current tax year and the three prior years.7Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Services for Individuals – FAQs

Order a Transcript by Phone or Mail

If you’d rather not use the online system, the IRS offers two free alternatives that deliver a paper transcript to the address it has on file.

By phone, call the automated transcript line at 800-908-9946.8Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts Follow the keypad prompts to enter your Social Security number and pick the tax year.

By mail, use Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return.9Internal Revenue Service. About Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return Fill in your name, Social Security number or ITIN, and current and prior addresses on Lines 1 through 4. On Line 6, enter the return you need (usually 1040) and check the box for a Return Transcript.10Internal Revenue Service. Form 4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return Mail or fax it to the address in the form’s state-specific instructions.

Either method typically produces a paper transcript within 5 to 10 calendar days.8Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts Because the IRS mails only to the address on file, update your address with the IRS first if you’ve moved.

First-Time Filers and People Who Didn’t File Last Year

If you didn’t file a return last year, or you’re filing for the first time and are over age 16, enter $0 as your prior-year AGI when your software asks for it.2Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return The same $0 rule applies when you did file last year but the IRS hasn’t finished processing that return yet.

First-time filers with no tax history can still create an IRS online account through ID.me with a photo ID. Taxpayers under 18 cannot use ID.me and should follow the alternative options shown on the sign-in page.

When the IRS Keeps Rejecting Your AGI

If your e-filed return bounces back for an AGI mismatch, check the number against Line 11 of the original return you submitted, not a rounded version and not the figure from an amendment.3Internal Revenue Service. IND-031-04 A change in filing status between years, such as joint one year and separate the next, can also throw off what you expect to see.

If the number is right and the return still won’t go through, you have two ways forward:

  • Get an Identity Protection PIN through the IRS Get an IP PIN tool, then resubmit using the six-digit IP PIN in place of your AGI. Your software will prompt you for it, and the IRS issues a new PIN each year for enrolled taxpayers.2Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return
  • Print the return and mail it in. Paper returns don’t require AGI verification.

If you think someone filed a fraudulent return using your information, watch for an IRS letter such as 5071C or 4883C asking you to verify your identity, and follow that letter’s instructions. If no letter has arrived but you suspect tax-related identity theft, submit Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit.11Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit

When You Need a Full Copy, Not Just a Transcript

A free transcript is enough for retrieving your AGI and for most e-filing purposes. Some lenders or agencies, though, require an actual photocopy of the complete return with all schedules attached. For that, file Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return. The IRS charges $30 per return, and processing can take up to 75 calendar days.12Internal Revenue Service. Request for Copy of Tax Return – Form 4506 Only pursue this route if a transcript truly won’t do the job.

Watch Out for Fake IRS Account Offers

Scammers pose as IRS representatives or offer to help you set up an online account so they can capture your credentials. The IRS will not contact you by email, text, or social media to ask for login information or personal data.13Internal Revenue Service. Tax Scams Create your account directly at IRS.gov, and report any suspicious message that claims to be from the IRS instead of clicking its links.