To request your AGI from the IRS, pull a Tax Return Transcript through your IRS Individual Online Account for an instant download, call the automated transcript line at 800-908-9946, or mail Form 4506-T. The online route is fastest; the phone and mail options send a paper copy to your address of record in 5 to 10 calendar days.1Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income Before you do any of that, check whether you already have the number: your AGI sits on line 11 of your Form 1040.
Check Last Year’s Return First
If you kept a copy of your prior-year return, the AGI is on line 11 of Form 1040. Tax software users can usually log back in and pull the PDF or see the AGI on the account dashboard.1Internal Revenue Service. Adjusted Gross Income
Use the figure exactly as printed. Don’t round it, and don’t try to recalculate it from your W-2s or 1099s. When the IRS validates a prior-year AGI for e-file, even a one-dollar difference triggers a rejection.
Pick the Right Transcript
The IRS produces several transcript types, and only one or two of them actually show your AGI:
- Tax Return Transcript shows most line items from your original Form 1040 as filed, including AGI. It covers the current tax year and the three prior years. This is the document lenders and other third parties usually want.2Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them
- Record of Account Transcript combines the Tax Return Transcript with your account activity, including adjustments, payments, and penalty history. Same time span. Choose this only if you need the whole picture.2Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them
Don’t request a Tax Account Transcript for AGI purposes. It lists payments and assessments but does not show individual return line items.
All transcripts partially mask personal information. Only the last four digits of your SSN appear, along with abbreviated names and partial addresses. Dollar amounts, including AGI, remain fully visible.3Internal Revenue Service. About Tax Transcripts
Request It Online
The IRS Individual Online Account is the fastest option. Once you’re in, you can view, download, or print the transcript immediately.4Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts
Setting Up Access Through ID.me
If you don’t already have an IRS online account, you’ll create one through ID.me, the identity verification service the IRS now uses. The older process that asked for credit card or loan account numbers has been retired.5Internal Revenue Service. New Online Identity Verification Process for Accessing IRS Self-Help Tools
You need an unexpired government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID, or passport. You upload photos of the document and take a selfie so the system can match your face to the ID.6ID.me Help Center. Documents You Need to Verify Your Identity With ID.me
If the self-service check can’t verify you (recently expired ID, non-U.S. passport, or an ITIN instead of an SSN), ID.me offers a short video call with a live agent who compares you to your ID on camera.7ID.me Help Center. Verifying With a Short Video Call
Downloading the Transcript
Once signed in, go to the tax records section, choose Tax Return Transcript, and pick the year you need. The PDF generates on the spot with your AGI clearly labeled.8Internal Revenue Service. Online Account for Individuals
Request It by Mail
Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, is the standard paper request. Download it from irs.gov, fill in your name, SSN, and the address from your most recent return, then check the box on line 6a for a Return Transcript. On line 9, enter the tax period in mm/dd/yyyy format (for tax year 2025, that’s 12/31/2025). One tax form type per submission.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 4506-T – Request for Transcript of Tax Return
Mail the signed form to the IRS Submission Processing Center for your state. The right address depends on where you lived when you filed the return in question.10Internal Revenue Service. Where to File Addresses for Form 4506-T Most requests are processed within 10 business days of receipt.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 4506-T – Request for Transcript of Tax Return
If you only need a Tax Return Transcript for your individual 1040, use the shorter Form 4506-T-EZ. It covers the current year and three prior years and skips fields on the full form. It can’t be used by fiscal-year filers.11Internal Revenue Service. Form 4506-T-EZ – Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript
Request It by Phone
Call the IRS automated transcript line at 800-908-9946. It runs 24 hours a day. You’ll provide your SSN, the address on your most recent return, and the tax year you need. The system mails a Tax Return Transcript to your address of record within 5 to 10 calendar days.2Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them
Phone is the simplest path if you’d rather not deal with ID.me or a printed form. The trade-off: you can’t view the transcript before it arrives, and you can’t send it directly to a third party.
When the Transcript Will Actually Be Available
If you just filed and need the transcript immediately, timing matters. For e-filed returns, allow two to three weeks after submission. For paper-filed returns, expect six to eight weeks. If you filed with a balance due and paid after submission, the transcript may not appear for three to four weeks after the IRS receives full payment.12Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Availability
Fixing an AGI Mismatch on an E-Filed Return
If the IRS rejected your return with error code IND-031-04 (primary taxpayer) or IND-032-04 (spouse), your prior-year AGI doesn’t match what the IRS has on file. It’s one of the most common e-file rejections, and it usually comes down to the wrong number.
Pull the AGI from your originally filed return for the prior year, line 11 of Form 1040. Enter it exactly, not rounded and not recalculated. If you amended that return, ignore the amended figures; the IRS validates against the original filing.13Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return
Enter $0 as the prior-year AGI in these situations:
- First-time filers over age 16.13Internal Revenue Service. Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return
- Your prior-year return was still processing as of mid-December.
- You filed with an ITIN last year but now have an SSN.
Filing status changes cause their own problems. If you filed jointly last year but separately this year, enter the full joint AGI from last year’s return; don’t split it. If you filed separately last year and jointly this year, each spouse enters their own individual AGI from their separate return.
If you can’t find the original return and none of the $0 exceptions apply, request a transcript using one of the methods above. If the filing deadline is closing in and you can’t resolve the mismatch in time, print the return and mail it. A mailed return doesn’t require prior-year AGI validation.