How to check my tax filing history from the last 7-8 years?
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. I need to pull together all my tax filing records going back to like 2017-2018ish for a mortgage application. Problem is, I honestly can't remember how I filed for some of those years (used different services, maybe an accountant one year?). I've moved twice since then and pretty sure some of my paper records are long gone. Do I need to contact the IRS directly to get this info? Is there an online way to see my complete tax filing history? I'm specifically trying to figure out not just IF I filed, but HOW I filed (joint vs individual) and what my reported income was for each year. Any advice would be super helpful as I'm trying to get all this sorted before my mortgage appointment next week!
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Giovanni Rossi
Yes, you can definitely access your tax filing history! The easiest way is to request a "Tax Return Transcript" from the IRS, which shows most line items from your original tax returns. This will confirm if and how you filed for each year. You have three options to get this: 1) Use the IRS website at irs.gov/transcripts where you can instantly view and download transcripts after verifying your identity 2) Call the automated phone line at 800-908-9946 to have transcripts mailed to your address of record 3) Complete and mail Form 4506-T to request transcripts by mail For mortgage applications, lenders typically want the "Tax Return Transcript" rather than the simpler "Tax Account Transcript." The transcripts are free and will show your filing status (joint vs individual) and reported income amounts. Most online transcripts are available for the current year and three years prior, but you can request older ones through the mail options.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
•Do the transcripts show which tax software or preparer I used? Also, how long does it take if I request by phone vs. online?
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Giovanni Rossi
•The transcripts won't show which tax software or preparer you used, they only contain the actual tax data that was submitted. If you need to know which service you used, you might have to check old emails for receipts or confirmation messages from tax preparation companies. For timing, online requests through irs.gov/transcripts are immediate - you can view and download PDFs right after verifying your identity. Phone requests typically take 5-10 business days for delivery by mail. Mailing in Form 4506-T takes the longest, usually 2-3 weeks for processing.
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Dylan Mitchell
After struggling with a similar situation last year (needed 5 years of returns for a business loan), I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much time. It uses AI to analyze your tax documents and can help reconstruct your filing history. You upload whatever documents you do have, and it helps piece together the missing information and even identifies potential audit risks if you're worried about discrepancies in your filing history.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Does it work with really old returns? I need stuff from 2015-2016 and wondering if it can handle that far back.
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Dmitry Petrov
•Sounds interesting but I'm a bit concerned about uploading my tax docs to some random website. How secure is this thing?
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Dylan Mitchell
•Yes, it absolutely works with older returns! I used it for documents dating back to 2014 without any issues. The system can analyze returns from any year as long as you have some documentation to upload. The security is top-notch - they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. They're actually more secure than many tax preparation services because they focus solely on document analysis rather than filing. I was skeptical at first too, but after researching their security protocols, I felt comfortable using it.
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Dmitry Petrov
Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it out after my initial skepticism, and wow, it actually delivered! I had a jumble of partial records and some W-2s from different employers over the years, but wasn't sure what I had actually filed. Uploaded what I had and the system was able to create a comprehensive timeline showing my filing status changes (went from single to married filing jointly in 2019) and identified where I had gaps in my documentation. The analysis helped me know exactly which transcripts to request from the IRS to complete my records. Definitely made the mortgage application process smoother!
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StarSurfer
If you need to talk to a real person at the IRS (which I highly recommend for complex history questions), don't waste hours on hold. I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) last month and it was a game-changer. They have this system where they wait on hold with the IRS for you and call you back when an agent is on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I had been trying for DAYS to get through about missing returns from 2018, and with Claimyr I was talking to an actual IRS agent within an hour.
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Ava Martinez
•How exactly does this work? Do I need to give them my personal info? Seems weird to have a third party call the IRS for me.
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Miguel Castro
•This sounds like complete BS. The IRS won't talk to third parties about your tax information without authorization forms. There's no way this actually works.
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StarSurfer
•It's actually really straightforward - they don't act as a third party or representative. They just handle the hold time for you. You provide your phone number, and their system calls the IRS and waits on hold. When an IRS agent comes on the line, their system connects you directly to that call. So when the IRS agent picks up, it's YOU talking to them, not a third party. No, I didn't need to provide any sensitive tax information to Claimyr. They just need your phone number to connect the call to you when an agent is ready. The entire purpose is just to eliminate the hold time - you still handle the actual conversation with the IRS yourself.
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Miguel Castro
I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about some missing records from 2016-2017, so I decided to try it anyway. I'm actually shocked that it worked exactly as advertised. I was connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes (after trying for THREE WEEKS on my own). The agent was able to confirm all my filing statuses and even helped me understand why one year's transcript was showing differently than I expected. So yeah, I was wrong - this service is legitimate and honestly worth it if you're in a time crunch for mortgage or loan documentation.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
Another option nobody mentioned - check your email archives! Search for "tax" or the names of tax services (TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, etc). Most services send confirmation emails when you file that include a summary of your return. I found records of which service I used for each year going back to 2015 this way, which helped me track down my documents.
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Connor Byrne
•Great idea! Would these emails typically have the actual tax forms attached or just confirmation that I filed?
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•They usually don't have the actual forms attached for security reasons, but they typically include a confirmation number, the date you filed, your adjusted gross income, and sometimes your refund amount or amount owed. This info can be super helpful when requesting specific records from the tax preparation service or the IRS since you'll know exactly which service you used and when you filed.
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Yara Elias
Does anyone know if the "Get Transcript" tool shows state tax filing history too or just federal? I need both for my mortgage application.
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QuantumQuasar
•The IRS transcript only shows federal tax info. For state taxes, you'll need to contact each state's tax agency separately. Most states have similar online systems where you can create an account and view your filing history.
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Yara Elias
•Thanks for clarifying! That makes sense - I'll need to contact my state tax department separately. Appreciate the quick response!
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Keisha Jackson
If you filed with a major tax service like TurboTax, H&R Block, or TaxAct, you might also be able to log into your account on their websites and access your filing history. I discovered I could download my last 7 years of returns from TurboTax even though I thought those records were gone!
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CosmicCaptain
•That's actually super helpful! I think I used TurboTax for at least some of those years. I'm going to try logging in with my old email addresses and see what I can find. Maybe I won't need to go through the IRS after all if I can piece enough together from the tax prep sites. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Jamal Thompson
One more tip that saved me a ton of time - if you're still missing some years after checking the tax prep sites, consider reaching out to former employers from those years. HR departments often keep records of W-2s they issued, and some will provide copies if you explain it's for a mortgage application. I was able to get W-2s from 2017-2018 this way when I couldn't find my copies anywhere. Even if you can't get the actual tax returns, having the W-2s can help you reconstruct your income history and verify what you should be seeing on the IRS transcripts.
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Oscar O'Neil
•That's a brilliant suggestion about contacting former employers! I never would have thought of that. Quick question though - do you know if there's typically a fee when requesting old W-2 copies from HR departments? Also, how far back do most companies usually keep those records? I'm wondering if this approach would work for my 2017-2018 records or if that might be too old for some employers to still have on file.
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