IRS transcripts: the IRS's own record of your account
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An IRS transcript is the IRS's own summary of your return or your account. The fastest way to get one is to sign in to your IRS Individual Online Account and view, print or download it. By mail, transcripts arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days. Blaga Veleva, EA reads them before giving advice on any IRS balance or letter.
What kinds of IRS transcripts are there?
There are five, and each answers a different question. From the IRS transcript types page:
- Tax return transcript: "most line items from your original Form 1040-series tax return as filed." Current and three prior years.
- Tax account transcript: "basic data such as filing status, taxable income, and payment types." Online, the current and nine prior years.
- Record of account: the return and account transcripts combined. Current and three prior years.
- Wage and income transcript: data from Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 and 5498 that others sent the IRS. Current and nine prior years.
- Verification of non-filing letter: says the IRS has no record of a processed Form 1040-series return as of the date you ask.
How do you get your transcripts?
Online is fastest. The IRS calls the Individual Online Account "the fastest, easiest way" to view, print or download transcripts, per the Get Transcript page. The IRS tells new Online Account users to have photo identification ready.
- By mail: request online or call 800-908-9946. Transcripts arrive "in 5 to 10 calendar days" at the address the IRS has on file. Mail requests cover only return and account transcripts.
- Form 4506-T: use it "to request any of the transcripts," per the Form 4506-T page. It is also the route for older years, and for wage and income transcripts too large to show online.
What does an account transcript tell you that a letter does not?
It shows what the IRS has recorded for a whole tax year, not just the amount on this month's bill: filing status, taxable income and the payments the IRS credited.
- The collection clock: the IRS generally has 10 years from assessment to collect, and each assessment's Collection Statute Expiration Date is shown on the account transcript, per the IRS page on how long it can collect.
- Payments: you can check that every payment you made was credited to the right year.
- Private collection: the IRS says a transcript can confirm that your account was assigned to a private collection agency after a CP40.
This is why most back tax cases start here.
Which transcript helps with unfiled returns or a CP2000?
The wage and income transcript. It lists what employers, banks and payers reported to the IRS under your number, which is the income the IRS will compare against your return.
For unfiled returns, it fills in missing W-2s and 1099s so old years can be filed on real numbers. The IRS points to Form 4506-T transcripts for this on its past due returns page. For a CP2000, it shows which form the IRS matched, so you can see whether the IRS has a duplicate, a wrong amount or income you missed.
Can a tax professional get your transcripts for you?
Yes, once you authorize them. Form 2848 lets you "authorize an individual to represent you before the IRS," per the Form 2848 page. With it on file, Blaga can request your transcripts and discuss your account with the IRS. If you have an Online Account, you can approve and electronically sign the authorization there, per the Online Account page. See how it works for the rest of the process.
What else is in your IRS Online Account?
More than transcripts. According to the IRS, you can view balances by tax year, see up to 5 years of payment history including estimated payments, view digital notices, see and revise an existing payment plan, and go paperless for certain notices. It is also the quickest way to check whether a letter is real; see is this IRS letter real.
Questions people ask
Q1How do I get my IRS transcript online?
Sign in to your IRS Individual Online Account on IRS.gov and choose the transcript type and year. The IRS calls this the fastest way. New users verify their identity first, so have photo identification ready.
Q2How long does an IRS transcript take by mail?
The IRS says transcripts ordered by mail arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days at the address on file. You can order online or by calling 800-908-9946. Only tax return and tax account transcripts can be ordered this way.
Q3Which IRS transcript shows what I owe?
The tax account transcript shows payments, penalties, interest and changes for one tax year. Your Online Account also shows balances by tax year. Blaga reads both before suggesting a payment plan or other option.
Q4Is a tax return transcript the same as a copy of my return?
No. A tax return transcript is a summary from IRS records that shows most line items from your original return as filed. The record of account combines it with the tax account transcript, which shows filing status, taxable income and payments.