How to Find My AGI from Last Year: Uncovering Your Adjusted Gross Income When Tax Records Seem Lost

Tax season brings its own peculiar brand of anxiety, but nothing quite matches that sinking feeling when you realize you need last year's AGI and can't remember where you put that tax return. Maybe you're sitting at your kitchen table, surrounded by this year's receipts and W-2s, when suddenly the online tax software asks for that magic number from last year. Your mind goes blank. Was it $52,000? $57,000? The exact figure matters, and guessing won't cut it.

Finding your prior year AGI isn't just about satisfying the IRS's identity verification requirements—though that's certainly part of it. This number serves as your financial fingerprint, a key that unlocks your ability to e-file and proves you are who you say you are. Without it, you're stuck in tax limbo, unable to move forward with your current filing.

The Paper Trail That Leads to Your AGI

Your AGI lives in several places, and tracking it down becomes a treasure hunt through your financial past. The most obvious spot? Line 11 of your 2022 Form 1040 (or line 8b if you filed a 1040-SR). But let's be honest—if you had your tax return handy, you wouldn't be reading this.

I've noticed over years of helping friends navigate tax season that people tend to fall into two camps: the meticulous filers who have color-coded folders for every tax year, and the rest of us who shove papers into a drawer and hope for the best. If you're in that second group, don't worry. The IRS anticipated our collective disorganization.

Your AGI represents your total income minus specific deductions—things like educator expenses, student loan interest, and retirement contributions. It's not the same as your taxable income, which comes after standard or itemized deductions. This distinction matters because sometimes people confuse the two when trying to recall the number.

Digital Pathways to Your Missing Number

The IRS website offers several routes to retrieve your AGI, each with its own quirks and requirements. The quickest path involves creating an online account at IRS.gov. Once you're in, you can view your tax records, including that elusive AGI. Setting up the account requires identity verification that would make a spy agency proud—they'll ask about old addresses, loan amounts, and other financial details that prove you're really you.

But here's something the IRS doesn't advertise loudly: their online system occasionally goes down for maintenance, usually at the most inconvenient times. I learned this the hard way one April evening, frantically trying to help my brother access his account while the deadline loomed.

If you used tax software last year, there's another avenue worth exploring. Most major tax preparation software companies—TurboTax, H&R Block, FreeTaxUSA—store your returns from previous years. Log into your account from last year, and your AGI should be waiting there, assuming you remember your login credentials. That's a big assumption, I know.

When Technology Fails: Old-School Methods

Sometimes the digital world lets us down, and we need to resort to more traditional methods. The IRS will mail you a tax return transcript if you request one. You can call 800-908-9946 or submit Form 4506-T by mail or fax. The transcript shows most line items from your return, including your AGI.

The catch? Mailed transcripts take 5 to 10 business days to arrive. If you're pushing against a deadline, this timeline might induce panic. The IRS can also fax a transcript to you, but only to the fax number they have on file—which for most of us means absolutely nowhere useful.

Phone requests offer a middle ground. Call 800-829-1040, and after navigating the automated system (press 2 for English, then 3 for transcripts, then hold for what feels like eternity), you'll reach a human who can help. They'll ask security questions that might stump you—what was your filing status two years ago? Did you claim any dependents? The representative can read your AGI over the phone once you prove your identity.

The Professional Route

Tax professionals who prepared your return last year should have a copy. By law, they must keep client records for at least three years. A quick phone call or email to your preparer often solves the problem faster than any other method. They might charge a small fee for retrieving old returns, but it's usually worth it for the convenience.

If you used a storefront tax preparation service, the specific location matters. Some franchises operate independently, and if that particular office closed, tracking down your records becomes more complicated. The parent company might be able to help, but don't count on it.

Alternative Verification Methods

Here's where things get interesting. The IRS recently introduced alternative verification methods for e-filing. Instead of last year's AGI, you can use your prior year's self-select PIN if you remember it. Alternatively, if you're filing for the first time or didn't file last year, you can enter "0" as your prior year AGI.

Some people discover they never actually filed last year's return—they prepared it but never submitted it. In this case, your AGI for IRS verification purposes is zero, even if you calculated an AGI on that unfiled return. This situation creates its own complications, but at least you can move forward with the current year's filing.

Protecting Your AGI for Next Year

After this scramble, you're probably thinking about how to avoid this situation next year. Create a simple system that works for you. Maybe it's taking a photo of your completed return and storing it in a specific album on your phone. Perhaps it's writing your AGI on a sticky note and putting it in your tax folder. Some people email themselves the number with a clear subject line they can search for later.

I've started keeping a small notebook specifically for tax-related numbers—AGI, property tax paid, estimated tax payment dates. Nothing fancy, just a record I can flip through when needed. Old-fashioned? Sure. But it's saved me countless hours of searching.

Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions

People often confuse their refund amount with their AGI. Your refund (or amount owed) has nothing to do with your AGI. Similarly, your gross income from your W-2 isn't your AGI either. The AGI comes after certain adjustments but before your standard or itemized deductions.

Another mistake involves married couples who filed jointly. Both spouses need to use the same AGI from the joint return, not their individual incomes. If you're now filing separately after filing jointly last year, you still use the AGI from that joint return.

Some taxpayers assume their AGI stays relatively constant year to year. While it might be similar, using an estimate won't work for e-filing verification. The IRS wants the exact number, down to the dollar.

The Bigger Picture

This whole AGI chase illuminates a larger issue with our tax system's complexity. The fact that we need last year's number to file this year's taxes creates an unnecessary barrier, especially for people who move frequently, experience life disruptions, or simply aren't natural record-keepers.

The IRS has made improvements—their online tools work better than they did five years ago, and phone wait times have decreased. But we're still dealing with a system that assumes everyone maintains perfect records and remembers passwords to accounts they use once a year.

Finding your AGI from last year shouldn't require detective work, but until the system changes, at least you now know where to look. Whether you go digital with the IRS website, make phone calls to real humans, or track down your tax preparer, one of these methods will uncover that crucial number. And maybe, just maybe, you'll file this year's return somewhere you'll actually remember next April.

Authoritative Sources:

Internal Revenue Service. "Get Transcript Online." IRS.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2023, www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.

Internal Revenue Service. "Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)." IRS.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2023, www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-protection-pin-ip-pin.

Internal Revenue Service. "Prior Year AGI (Adjusted Gross Income)." IRS.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2023, www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/prior-year-agi-adjusted-gross-income.

Internal Revenue Service. "Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return." IRS.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2023, www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4506-t.