Last year’s tax return: where to find a copy
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
A copy of last year’s tax return is the Form 1040 you filed, with its schedules. The fastest sources are your own files, your previous tax preparer or your tax software account. The IRS offers a free return transcript online, which lists most line items but is not a copy; a full copy is requested with Form 4506.
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What is a copy of last year’s tax return?
Form 1040 is the individual federal income tax return. A complete copy includes the two pages of the 1040 and every schedule and form filed with it, such as Schedule 1, Schedule C or Schedule E.
A new preparer uses last year’s return to carry over figures, spot income that should show up again, and check details like your filing status and dependents.
Who sends it, and when
You, or the preparer who filed for you, produced the return. The IRS keeps the filed version and can provide a transcript or, on request with Form 4506, a copy of the return itself.
Where to get a copy of last year’s tax return
- Your own records: the PDF or paper copy you kept after filing.
- Your previous tax preparer, who usually keeps copies of the returns they filed.
- Your tax software account, where past returns stay available to download as PDF.
- Your IRS Online Account or Get Transcript, for a return transcript of the main line items.
- Form 4506, sent to the IRS, for an actual copy of the filed return.
Wrong files people send instead
- Only the first two pages of the 1040, without the schedules.
- The state return instead of the federal return.
- A draft or an unsigned version that differs from what was filed.
- The return from two years ago instead of last year’s.
- A transcript sent when the preparer asked for a full copy.
Questions people ask
How do I get a copy of my tax return from the IRS?
For a full copy, file Form 4506 with the IRS. For most purposes a return transcript is enough, and you can get it from your IRS Online Account or Get Transcript.
Is a tax transcript the same as a copy of the return?
No. A return transcript lists most line items from the return as filed, but it is not a copy and does not include every schedule.
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a copy of last year’s tax return or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.