Tax transcript

The IRS offers five kinds of transcript. A tax return transcript shows most line items of your original return, with no later changes. It usually meets a mortgage lender’s needs. A tax account transcript shows your filing status, taxable income and payments, plus any changes made after you filed. A record of account combines the two.

A wage and income transcript lists the data from Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 and 5498 that the IRS has received. A verification of non-filing letter confirms the IRS has no processed Form 1040 for a year.

The fastest way to get a transcript is your IRS Individual Online Account, which has every type. Online, account transcripts and wage and income transcripts cover the current year and the nine before it. Return transcripts and records of account cover the current year and three before it.

A return or account transcript can also be mailed to the address the IRS has on file. It arrives in 5 to 10 calendar days. Form 4506-T orders any type by mail or fax, and most requests are processed within 10 business days. If you e-filed this year’s return with nothing left to pay, its transcript is ready in 2 to 3 weeks.

A transcript is not a copy of your return. For a copy of the return itself, you file Form 4506 and pay a fee. Transcripts partly mask your personal details, but the financial figures stay visible.