Where can I download my 1099-R form online for my 2024 taxes?

This is good advice but what if you've forgotten which company actually manages your retirement account? Last year I rolled over several accounts and I'm not sure which one would have the 1099-R. Is there a way to trace it or am I just screwed?

If you've forgotten which company manages your retirement account, check your bank statements from last year to see where the distribution came from. The deposit should show the company name. You can also create an account on the IRS website and access their "Get Transcript" service, which might show which companies have submitted 1099-Rs for you, though the current year forms might not appear until later in the tax season.

Does this taxr.ai thing work with state retirement systems? I have a pension from teaching and their website is from like 1995 I swear. Wonder if this would pull from there too?

I'm a bit concerned about security. How does it access these accounts? Do you have to give it your passwords for all your financial accounts? That seems sketchy.

For state retirement systems, it depends on the specific system. Many of the larger state pension systems are supported, but some of the smaller municipal ones might not be integrated yet. It's worth trying though since they're constantly adding new institutions. Regarding security, I had the same concerns initially. It uses the same encryption and security protocols as major banks. You do need to verify your accounts, but it uses secure API connections rather than storing your actual passwords. They explained it uses read-only access so it can't actually make any changes to your accounts.

How does this actually work? Do they have some special connection to the IRS or something? Seems too good to be true that they can get through when regular people can't.

Yeah right. Nothing gets you through to the IRS faster. They probably just put you on hold like everyone else and charge you for the privilege. The IRS is deliberately understaffed so they CAN'T answer calls. This seems like a scam.

It's not a special connection to the IRS - they use technology that keeps dialing and navigating the phone tree automatically. Basically it does all the redial work that would drive you crazy, and their system is optimized to know exactly when to call for shortest wait times. As for it being a scam, I was totally skeptical too. But it's just a service that handles the frustrating phone part. They don't talk to the IRS for you or get any of your tax information - they just get the IRS agent on the line and then connect you directly. I wasted hours trying myself before using them, so the time saved was worth it to me.

That's a good idea! I didn't even think to check my spam folder. I just found the notification email from February 1st buried in there. Clicked the link and got my form downloaded right away. Thanks everyone for the help! Between checking my spam folder and learning about those services if I need them in the future, this has been super helpful.

This is what I had to do last year. The transcript doesn't give you the actual form but at least tells you the amount and who reported it, which you can use on your tax return. The IRS "Get Transcript" online service is faster than mailing the form if you can verify your identity.

Good point about the online Get Transcript service being faster. I always forget that's an option since I had trouble verifying my identity in their system. The transcript does give you the box 1 amount (gross distribution) which is often all you need for basic tax filing if you know the distribution code. But you're right that it's not a replacement for the actual form if you need all the detailed breakdown.