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The Global Insight

How do I get copies of old federal tax returns?

Author

Christopher Davis

Updated on March 08, 2026

Taxpayers can call 800-908-9946 to request a transcript by phone. Transcripts requested by phone will be mailed to the taxpayer. By mail. Taxpayers can complete and send either Form 4506-T or Form 4506-T-EZ to the IRS to get one by mail.

Can I get a copy of my tax return from 20 years ago?

Luckily, the Internal Revenue Service can provide you with copies of your original tax returns. As long as you filed the original tax return on Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040A or 1040EZ, you can request a copy by filing Form 4506 with the IRS.

How can I get my tax return from 30 years ago?

If you want an actual copy of an old tax return, you’ll need to complete IRS Form 4506 and mail it to the IRS. There’s a $43 fee for copies of tax returns (unless you live in a federally declared disaster area), and requests can take up to 75 days to process.

How do I get my past tax returns from TurboTax?

Click on My TurboTax (click on My Tax Timeline in the drop down menu) Scroll down where is says “Prior Year Return(s)” click on Load My Tax Timeline. On the Tax Timeline screen, click the tax year you need. On the right side, select Download/print return (PDF) (if you just need a printout)

How to file an income tax return in Quebec?

Click for more information about correcting errors and omissions FILING THE RETURN You can file your income tax return either online, through NetFile Québec, or by mail. Click for more information about filing methods PAYING A BALANCE DUE OR RECEIVING A REFUND

When do I need a copy of my previous tax return?

IRS Tax Tip 2021-33, March 11, 2021 Taxpayers who didn’t save a copy of their prior year’s tax return, but now need it, have a few options to get the information. Individuals should generally keep copies of their tax returns and any documents for at least three years after they file.

Are there any tax returns in the National Archives?

The National Archives does not have individual tax returns. Individual Federal tax returns are retained by the IRS and destroyed after a certain period of time. You can request old tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Where can I find the year 1976 tax returns?

Year 1976 is in EBCDIC, fixed-length fields/records and is also available as an exact copy. Years 1977-1990 may be made available in ASCII with record delimiters. This series contains data showing in-migration and out-migration for each county and state for the number of taxpayers and personal exemptions.