How immigration lawyers request a copy of last year’s tax return from sponsors
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask the sponsor for their federal tax return for the most recent tax year, either an IRS tax transcript or a complete copy of the filed Form 1040 with its W-2s and schedules. The I-864 instructions ask for at least that year; some attorneys request three years when income changed. Ask joint sponsors and household members for theirs too.
Why immigration lawyers need a copy of last year’s tax return
On the I-864 affidavit of support, the sponsor reports income and attaches proof of it, and the federal return is the core of that proof. USCIS compares the income on the return with the guideline in the form instructions for the household size. A sponsor who was not required to file needs to explain why, so it is worth asking early rather than discovering the gap while assembling the package.
Client guide: where to find a copy of last year’s tax return
What exactly to ask for
The IRS tax return transcript for the most recent tax year, downloaded from the sponsor’s IRS online account, or a full photocopy of the filed 1040 with all schedules, W-2s and 1099s. Ask for earlier years if income dropped in the latest year or the sponsor became self-employed. Same request for any joint sponsor and any household member signing an I-864A.
What to check when it arrives
- The tax year is the most recent one filed, and the return was actually filed, not a draft or an unsigned copy.
- The name and SSN match the sponsor’s I-864, and the filing status fits what the sponsor told you about their household.
- Total income on the return matches what the sponsor reports as most recent income on the form.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your tax return for the affidavit of support
Hi [Client name],
As the sponsor on this case, you will sign the affidavit of support (Form I-864), and it asks for proof of your income. The main piece is your federal tax return for the most recent year.
The simplest version is the tax return transcript from your IRS online account, which you can download as a PDF. A complete copy of the return you filed works too, as long as it includes every page, schedule and W-2.
Could you send it by [date]? If you did not file that year, or your income has changed a lot since, tell me and we will look at what else to include.
Thank you, [Your name]
Sources
The rules above come from these primary sources. Check them, and your local rules, before you rely on them.
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.