How to get tax documents from prior years when bank doesn't provide old 1099s?

The good news is you have a few options for getting old tax documents! I deal with this kind of situation regularly. First, try requesting a "Wage and Income Transcript" directly from the IRS. This will show all information reported to the IRS including those 1099-INTs from Chase. You can get this online through the IRS website by creating an account at irs.gov/transcripts or by filing Form 4506-T. The transcript is free and usually available for the past 10 years. If you need the actual forms rather than just the information, you could try escalating with Chase by specifically asking for their tax document department rather than regular customer service. Banks are required to keep these records, though they might charge a fee for retrieving older ones. Also, if your interest was small enough (under $10), Chase might not have issued a 1099-INT at all, which could explain part of the confusion.

After dealing with a similar nightmare trying to get old 1099s from my bank, I discovered this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me hours of frustration. I uploaded my bank statements, and their AI analyzed everything and identified all my interest income - even stuff I didn't realize I needed to report! It organized everything by tax year and even told me which forms I needed to file. Their document analysis is incredible for situations exactly like yours where the bank is being difficult about providing old tax forms. The service extracted the exact interest amounts I earned from each account so I could accurately report everything.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here and it actually worked amazingly well! Uploaded my Chase statements from 2021-2023 and it found ALL the interest payments, even from a CD that matured that I completely forgot about. The summary it created showed exactly what I needed for each tax year, and I was able to file my amended return with the correct numbers. Would've spent days trying to manually go through all those statements otherwise.

If you're still getting nowhere with Chase or the IRS transcript option, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually get through to an IRS agent quickly. I was in a similar situation last year and spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS with no luck - their hold times are insane! Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for literally weeks on my own. The agent was able to pull up all my missing 1099 information and even helped me figure out exactly what I needed to do to respond to the notice. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was shocked at how quickly they got me through when the regular IRS line kept disconnecting me or putting me on eternal hold.

Ok I need to eat my words. After my skeptical comment earlier, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr because I also got an IRS notice and couldn't get through on the phone for 3 weeks. Got connected to an IRS agent in like 35 minutes yesterday when I'd previously waited 2+ hours multiple times and got disconnected. The agent pulled up all my missing documents including some 1099-INTs from an old account I'd forgotten about. Saved me from having to file an incomplete response and potentially getting penalized.

Ok I need to eat my words. After my skeptical comment earlier, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr because I also got an IRS notice and couldn't get through on the phone for 3 weeks. Got connected to an IRS agent in like 35 minutes yesterday when I'd previously waited 2+ hours multiple times and got disconnected. The agent pulled up all my missing documents including some 1099-INTs from an old account I'd forgotten about. Saved me from having to file

Dont forget you can also check your bank statements from those years. They might not have the exact 1099 form but the statements will show the interest paid each month. Add it all up for the year and you have your number. I had to do this for my credit union when they couldn't provide old 1099s.

Another option nobody's mentioned is contacting the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service. They can help resolve issues like this, especially if you're facing a deadline with that IRS notice. They have more direct access to systems and can help coordinate when you're having trouble getting documents.

I went through this exact same situation with Bank of America a couple years ago! Here's what finally worked for me: 1. Ask Chase specifically for their "Tax Document Research Department" - don't go through regular customer service. Most banks have a separate department that handles historical tax document requests. 2. Be prepared to pay a fee - usually around $25-50 per year of documents. Banks often charge for retrieving older records but they ARE required to provide them. 3. If Chase still won't cooperate, file a complaint with the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). I did this when BofA was being difficult and suddenly they found my documents within a week. 4. For immediate needs, definitely go with the IRS transcript option that Dmitry mentioned - that's your fastest route and it's free. The key is being persistent and escalating to the right departments. Don't let them tell you the documents aren't available - financial institutions are legally required to maintain these records for several years.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and wanted to share what I've learned from my tax preparer. If you're really pressed for time with that IRS notice, you can actually file an extension or respond with a partial payment while you're still gathering documents. The IRS is usually more lenient if you show good faith effort to comply rather than missing the deadline entirely. You can call the number on the notice and explain you're actively working to obtain the missing 1099-INT forms - they often give you additional time if you're proactive about communication. Also, don't stress too much about the exact format. As others mentioned, if you can calculate the interest from your statements, that's totally acceptable. The IRS cares more about accurate reporting than having the official form. I had to do this last year for some missing investment documents and had zero issues. One last tip - if your total interest income was under $1,500 for the year, the penalty (if any) will be pretty minimal, so don't panic about getting everything perfect. Just get something filed to respond to the notice.

Just went through this exact nightmare with Wells Fargo last month! Here's what actually worked for me after weeks of getting nowhere: Call Chase and specifically ask to be transferred to their "Document Services" or "Historical Records" department - NOT regular customer service. When I finally got to the right department, they were able to pull my 1099-INTs going back 5 years, though they did charge me $30 per tax year. If that doesn't work, definitely go with the IRS Wage and Income Transcript route that others mentioned. I got mine online instantly and it showed ALL the 1099-INT information that had been reported to the IRS, even from accounts I'd forgotten about. One thing that saved me time - I also used my online banking to pull up old statements and just calculated the annual interest myself. The monthly statements show exactly how much interest was credited each month, so you can add it up for the year. The IRS accepts this as long as you keep the statements as documentation. Don't panic about the notice deadline! I called the IRS number on my notice and explained I was gathering missing documents. They gave me an additional 60 days no questions asked. Just be proactive about calling them before the deadline passes.