{"id":1391,"date":"2020-12-09T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/copy-of-past-tax-return"},"modified":"2025-03-18T16:17:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T23:17:40","slug":"how-to-obtain-old-tax-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/how-to-obtain-old-tax-returns","title":{"rendered":"How to Obtain Old Tax Returns (For Free)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"C\u00f3mo obtener una copia de sus declaraciones de impuestos anteriores | Informaci\u00f3n fiscal de IRS.com\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bHV0yVWmQ98\" width=\"820\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Getting a full copy or a transcript of your past tax returns is possible, but why would you want one? I mean, the past is in the past, and who needs the memories, right? Especially about taxes!<\/p>\n<p>Well, if you\u2019ve ever applied for certain types of loans or wanted to participate in federal healthcare programs, you know that producing past tax returns is a requirement. So, how do you obtain old tax returns?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/declaracion-de-la-renta-por-internet\/\"><b>&gt;&gt; Comience su E-file GRATUITO<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-1391-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Untitled_video13.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Untitled_video13.mp4\">https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Untitled_video13.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>Well, as it turns out, the IRS is capable of giving you both a fully detailed copy of your past tax returns, or a general transcript that, while not as detailed, has all the necessary data for most financial moves.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding their differences, how to get them, and why you would need them is important, so read on to learn about all of this and more.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11631\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ingles2-e1741132484944.png\" alt=\"how-to-obtain-old-tax-returns\" width=\"650\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ingles2-e1741132484944.png 1020w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ingles2-e1741132484944-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ingles2-e1741132484944-768x440.png 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Ingles2-e1741132484944-18x10.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Obtain Old Tax Returns from the IRS for Free<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Hay muchas razones por las que puede necesitar obtener una <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/motivos-para-obtener-copias-de-declaraciones-fiscales-anteriores\/\">copia de una declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos pasada<\/a>. Perhaps you simply lost your copy or there is a pressing financial transaction on the line.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, it is important to understand how to request a copy of an old tax return so you can access that information in a timely manner.<\/p>\n<h3>Situations Where You Need a Copy of Your Past Tax Returns<\/h3>\n<p>You may need a copy of your old tax returns if you lost tax documents for a particular year. If you had your Federal income tax return completed by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/ventajas-e-inconvenientes-de-la-preparacion-profesional-de-impuestos\/\">preparador de impuestos pagado<\/a>, \u00e9ste deber\u00eda poder proporcionarle una copia de su declaraci\u00f3n. De lo contrario, deber\u00e1 ponerse en contacto con el IRS para solicitar los documentos fiscales que necesite.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bfEst\u00e1 solicitando un <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/deducciones-fiscales-por-intereses-de-prestamos-estudiantiles\/\">pr\u00e9stamo estudiantil<\/a> o un pr\u00e9stamo hipotecario? Si es as\u00ed, el prestamista solicitar\u00e1 su informaci\u00f3n financiera, que incluye informaci\u00f3n sobre impuestos anteriores. Aunque cada prestamista es diferente, la mayor\u00eda exigir\u00e1 una copia de su declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos sobre los ingresos m\u00e1s reciente.<\/p>\n<p>En algunos casos, como al solicitar un pr\u00e9stamo hipotecario para una vivienda, es posible que se le exija que facilite sus declaraciones de impuestos de los \u00faltimos 2 \u00f3 3 a\u00f1os. Tambi\u00e9n puede necesitar una copia de una declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos anterior si desea modificar o <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/preguntas-frecuentes-sobre-la-condonacion-de-la-deuda-hipotecaria\/\">refinanciar su pr\u00e9stamo hipotecario<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While a <i>transcripci\u00f3n de la declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos<\/i> puede ser suficiente para que algunos prestamistas tomen una decisi\u00f3n informada, no es lo mismo que una copia exacta de su declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos, por lo que siempre debe revisar para asegurarse de que.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on what type of information you need from your past tax return, you may choose to request an exact copy or a more basic tax transcript. Note that it costs $43 to obtain a copy of a past tax return from the IRS.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you do not need an exact copy of your past tax return, there are also options for obtaining free copies of your Federal tax return information \u2013 including online, by telephone, or by paper mail.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11628 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"how-to-obtain-old-tax-returns\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-7654595-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>How to Request A Full Copy Of A Past Tax Return<\/h2>\n<p>Hay una cuota de $43 por cada declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos que solicite al IRS. Normalmente, puede solicitar copias de los formularios de impuestos 1040, 1040A y 1040EZ hasta 6 a\u00f1os atr\u00e1s (antes de que sean destruidos por ley). Las copias de otros tipos de formularios de impuestos pueden estar disponibles durante m\u00e1s de 6 a\u00f1os.<\/p>\n<p>Puede solicitar una copia de una declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos pasada utilizando el <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/f4506.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Formulario 4506 del IRS (Solicitud de copia de la declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos)<\/a>. Note that you can only order one (1) type of tax return per request form, which means you must submit separate Forms 4506 if you need different types of returns.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure your full payment of $43 per copy is included with each request you submit. Also keep in mind that it may take the IRS up to 75 days to process your request.<\/p>\n<h2>C\u00f3mo solicitar una transcripci\u00f3n de una declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos anterior<\/h2>\n<p>If you don\u2019t need an exact copy of an old tax return, you should consider requesting a free Tax Return Transcript from the IRS instead. A transcript contains most of the information from the original tax return (which is usually enough for a mortgage lender if you\u2019re applying for a home loan). There are various transcript types available free of charge.<\/p>\n<p>Para solicitar una transcripci\u00f3n, puede utilizar el <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/file_source\/pub\/irs-pdf\/f4506t.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Formulario 4506-T del IRS (Solicitud de transcripci\u00f3n de la declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos)<\/a> o el<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/f4506tez.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Formulario 4506T-EZ (Solicitud abreviada de transcripci\u00f3n de la declaraci\u00f3n de impuestos individual)<\/a>. Adem\u00e1s, puede solicitar una transcripci\u00f3n en l\u00ednea en la p\u00e1gina web '<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/individuals\/get-transcript\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Obtener transcripci\u00f3n<\/a>' el sitio web del IRS.<\/p>\n<p>In most cases, you can request a transcript for up to 3 years. Most requests are processed within 10 days after the IRS receives your request. Remember that your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/obtener-copia-de-la-declaracion-de-la-renta-anterior\/\">informaci\u00f3n sobre sus impuestos estatales<\/a> will not be available\/included in your federal IRS transcript.<\/p>\n<p>If you need your W-2 information for retirement purposes, you are encouraged to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA).<\/p>\n<p>There are many reasons why you may need to get a copy of a past tax return. Luckily, requesting a past tax return (whether an exact copy or a transcript) is simple enough for any taxpayer to do.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11626 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"how-to-obtain-old-tax-returns\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-2048x1154.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-kindelmedia-7054757-18x10.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Business Transcripts<\/h2>\n<p>Business owners can also request their business\u2019 tax information just like any private citizen, but with some differences. For example, transcripts hide personally identifiable information such as taxpayer identification numbers.<\/p>\n<p>There are three different ways to request a business tax transcript, which are pretty much the same as in the individual tax returns. You can check and download it in your business tax account, request it by mail using Form 4506-T, or call the IRS\u2019 business and specialty tax line.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a business owner and are in need of your tax information from previous years, the IRS offers different types of transcripts at no cost to you. They are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tax Return Script: <\/b>This one shows most of the items from your original tax return exactly as you filed them, except documents or statements originally attached to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tax Account Transcript: <\/b>This is a record of changes to your account, like refunds, federal tax deposits, payments, balance due with accruals, and others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Record Of Account Transcript: <\/b>This one is merely a mix of your tax return and tax account transcript into a single document. Convenient!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Entity Transcript: <\/b>This one is meatier, since it verifies the information available in IRS records such as employer identification number (EIN), filing requirements and if the business is an LLC, along with a long list of other items.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tips For Maintaining Tax Records<\/h2>\n<p>Keeping a good record of your taxes is not only easier than it sounds, it can help you down the line if you should ever need to produce them at a short notice. It\u2019s all about figuring out which documents to keep and how long to keep them.<\/p>\n<p>Also, it\u2019s not about keeping them around forever, but you should consider holding onto them for a while. As a rule of thumb, you should keep these documents and records for at least three years from the date you file your tax return (along with your return itself).<\/p>\n<p>This is because there is a statute of limitations for IRS assessments, meaning that the IRS usually limits their audits to three years from the date when you file your return.<\/p>\n<p>There are some specific instances where the IRS has more than three years to audit certain types of unreported income, and the statute of limitations is virtually nonexistent when it comes to unfiled tax returns, so don\u2019t just \u201cforget\u201d to file your return and hope three years pass you by quickly.<\/p>\n<p>The same applies to fraudulent returns, so it\u2019s a good idea to keep records for items that you think the IRS will become suspicious of later on, even if years down the line.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the tax documents you should keep in the safe:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Everything related to income taxes (W-2s, 1099s, bank statements, and anything that supports what you\u2019re reporting in that year\u2019s tax return).<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Documents that support your deduction claims (i.e. expenses documents, such as invoices, receipts, etc.)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Anything related to your home (property tax statements, home improvement receipts, etc.)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Proof of investments and retirement accounts (1099s, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Finally, there\u2019s always the option of digitizing your documents in order to keep them secure and reduce clutter. Make sure to consult a tax professional on which documents are better off digitized and which ones to keep physical copies of.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11627 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"how-to-obtain-old-tax-returns\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.irs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pexels-mart-production-8872512-640x426.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>How to Get a Copy of Your Past Tax Return: Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>1. Why would I need a copy of my past tax returns?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are actually several reasons why you might need to present a past tax return, such as applying for a mortgage loan (or modifying your existing one), verifying your income to receive financial aid, and even resolving a discrepancy of conflict with the IRS themselves. Also, having an older tax return with which to compare your current one can help you make better financial decisions in the future.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. What\u2019s the difference between a tax transcript and a tax return copy?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>For starters, a tax transcript is free while a tax return copy is not. Tax transcripts give you a summary of your tax return for that year, including your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and other key details; for most purposes, this one does just fine. On the other hand, a copy of your tax return is an exact duplicate of your return for that year, and it\u2019s the one you\u2019ll need for legal or detailed financial matters.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. How can I get a copy of my tax return from a previous year?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>For a copy, you must submit Form 4506, &#8220;Request for Copy of Tax Return,&#8221; to the IRS. Remember, requesting a copy of a past tax return carries a fee. However, to access a transcript of your tax records carries no fee and can be done online through the IRS\u2019 <b>Obtener transcripci\u00f3n <\/b>tool.<\/p>\n<p><b>4. How long does it take to get a copy of my tax return?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Depends on what you\u2019re looking for; a tax transcript will be available immediately if requested online (or it can be mailed to you within 5-10 days after your request). A full copy will take longer: It will be mailed to you within a whopping 75 days after your request is approved.<\/p>\n<p><b>5. How far back can I request a past tax return?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>This one also depends on what you\u2019re getting. The IRS says that you can get transcripts only for the current tax year and the past three years. For full copies of your return, you can get them for the current tax year and the past six years.<\/p>\n<p><b>6. Can I save time and money if I get my previous tax return from software or whoever made my taxes before?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you used software or hired a professional to do your taxes in previous years, you might still be able to retrieve a copy from them. Most tax software platforms store your tax returns for several years (provided you stick with one of them for that period), and professionals keeps records of their clients\u2019 returns.<\/p>\n<p><strong>VEA TAMBI\u00c9N:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/preguntas-frecuentes-sobre-fiscalidad-respuestas\/\">Preguntas y respuestas comunes sobre impuestos<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/es\/determinar-su-estado-civil\/\">C\u00f3mo determinar su estatus de declaraci\u00f3n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/articles\/opciones-del-plan-de-pago-de-impuestos-del-irs\/\">\u00bfDebe al IRS? Existen opciones de planes de pago<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ufeff Getting a full copy or a transcript of your past tax returns is possible, but why would you want one? I mean, the past is in the past, and who needs the memories, right? Especially about taxes! Well, if you\u2019ve ever applied for certain types of loans or wanted to participate in federal healthcare [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,36,35,153,31,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-federal-tax-returns","category-past-tax-returns","category-state-tax-returns","category-tax-advice-videos","category-tax-deductions","category-tax-strategies"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1391"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12402,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1391\/revisions\/12402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irs.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}