There are several reasons why you may want to see the transcripts of your actual tax returns. Maybe you need a record of wages and other income earned, a record of payments, penalties, interest, etc. Even if you have a copy of your return, some applications including mortgages or financial aid may require a transcript instead.
The IRS suggests everyone keep a copy of their tax returns going back at least three years. This comes in handy if you need to amend a previous return or need exact information from the return. But what happens if you can’t find a copy, didn’t file with a tax prep software that kept a copy, or didn’t keep one yourself?
Did you know you can get it directly from the IRS? Yes, of course there is a fee, but only if the transcript is older than three years!
Head to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
For more info on transcript types: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-return-transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them
When Should the IRS Have a Transcript Available for Request? https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-availability
Get Transcript FAQs: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript-faqs
