Ask The Taxgirl: Tax History

Taxpayer asks:

Hi, Taxgirl –

How do I confirm that I filed a federal tax return every year over the past 12 years? In college, I got a small tax refund every year, but (being in college) I was also lax about doing things I should – even those that got me a check! I want to make sure that I didn’t not file a tax return especially if I owed money. It’s keeping me up at night!

Taxgirl says:

It’s actually wildly easy – and free – to get this info.

You can request a copy of a transcript by calling 1-800-829-1040 or file a copy of the federal Form 4506T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return).

You can request:

1. A tax return transcript will show most line items from your tax return as filed, together with any accompanying forms and schedules.
2. A tax account transcript shows basic data, including marital status, type of return filed, adjusted gross income, and taxable income.
3. A record of account is a combination of your return transcript with any later adjustments made to your account.
4. A verification of nonfiling, which is proof from the IRS that you did not file a return for a certain year.

These options are available for the current tax year plus the three prior tax years.

If you need information from further back, you can request a data transcript for federal forms W-2, 1099, 1098, and 5498 filed under your
tax identification number for up to ten years. Keep in mind that this option has some timing restrictions – the forms are not available until one year after the information was filed. Since the forms for 2008 are not required to be filed by your employer, banker, etc. until 2009, the forms are not available via this method until 2010.

Depending on the method of request (calling is almost always faster, though it’s harder to get through at tax season), you should expect an answer anywhere from 2 weeks to 30 days. I’ve gotten them back within 48 hours in an emergency but I wouldn’t count on that – especially during tax time.

There you go – now get some sleep!

Before you go: be sure to read my disclaimer. Remember, I’m a lawyer and we love disclaimers.
If you have a question, here’s how to Ask The Taxgirl.

Kelly Phillips Erb

Kelly Phillips Erb is a tax attorney, tax writer, and podcaster.

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