What Form 4506-T is for
Form 4506-T asks the IRS for tax return information, not a copy of the return itself. You pick one transcript type, enter one tax form number, list the years you want, sign, and send it in. The transcript goes to your address of record. If you want the actual return with all of its attachments, Form 4506 is the form for that.
Individuals, businesses, and people acting for a taxpayer all use it, including partners, corporate officers, executors, and trustees. Anyone whose tax year starts in one calendar year and ends in the next must file Form 4506-T to get a return transcript. The IRS also offers automated self-help transcript tools online and a phone line at 1-800-908-9946.
What Form 4506-T gets you
Form 4506-T is a request for tax return information. You check one box for the type of transcript you want, and you enter one tax form number per request, such as 1040, 1065, or 1120. A transcript is not a copy of your return. If you need the return itself with every attachment, including the Form W-2 or Form 1099 you filed with it, use Form 4506. If you are not sure which type to pick, the IRS says to request the Record of Account.
- Return Transcript: most line items as filed, for the current year and returns processed in the prior 3 processing years
- Account Transcript: payments made, penalty assessments, and adjustments made after the return was filed
- Record of Account: the return and account transcripts combined, for the current year and 3 prior tax years
- Verification of Nonfiling: proof you did not file, with current year requests available only after June 15th
- Form W-2, 1099, 1098, and 5498 data: the IRS may be able to go back up to 10 years
Who can sign Form 4506-T?
The taxpayer listed on line 1a or 2a signs and dates the form. On a joint return, one signature is enough, and either spouse can receive the transcript. Sign exactly as your name appeared on the original return, and if you changed your name, sign your current name too. For a corporation, the form can generally be signed by an officer with legal authority to bind the corporation, by any person the board designates, or by an officer or employee asked in writing by a principal officer and attested to by the secretary.
- Check the box in the signature area to confirm you have the authority to sign. An unchecked box means the form will not be processed
- A shareholder of record owning 1 percent or more of outstanding stock may submit the form with documents supporting the right to the information
- For a partnership, any person who was a member during any part of the tax period on line 9 can sign
- For anyone other than an individual, attach the authorization document, such as a letter from the principal officer or letters testamentary
- A representative can sign only if you delegated that authority on Form 2848, line 5, and Form 2848 is attached
- Heirs at law, next of kin, and beneficiaries must be able to establish a material interest in the estate or trust
When do you send it, and how long does it take?
There is no due date. You send Form 4506-T whenever you need tax records from the IRS. Two timing rules do matter. The IRS must receive the form within 120 days of the date you sign it, or the request is rejected. And most requests are processed within 10 business days. Current year information from Forms W-2 and 1099 is generally not available until the year after it is filed, so 2016 wage data filed in 2017 would likely not be available until 2018.
- IRS time estimates: 10 minutes learning about the form, 12 minutes preparing it, 20 minutes copying, assembling, and sending it
- Do not sign until every line that applies to you is filled in. An incomplete or illegible form may be rejected
- For W-2 information needed for retirement purposes, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213
Where do you send Form 4506-T?
You mail or fax it. Which address you use depends on the state you lived in, or the state your business was in, when that return was filed. Page 2 has two address charts. One is for individual transcripts, meaning the Form 1040 series, Form W-2, and Form 1099. The other is for all other transcripts, so the same state can point to different places depending on what you are asking for. If you request more than one transcript or product and the chart shows two addresses, use the one based on your most recent return.
- Internal Revenue Service, RAIVS Team, Stop 6716 AUSC, Austin, TX 73301, fax 855-587-9604
- Internal Revenue Service, RAIVS Team, Stop 6705 S-2, Kansas City, MO 64999, fax 855-821-0094
- Internal Revenue Service, RAIVS Team, P.O. Box 9941, Mail Stop 6734, Ogden, UT 84409, fax 855-298-1145
What is new in the April 2025 revision?
The April 2025 form says the filing location for Form 4506-T has changed, so go by the current charts instead of an address you used before. The What's New note also carries forward the July 2019 change. The IRS stopped all third-party mailings of requested transcripts, and masked tax transcripts are mailed only to the taxpayer's address of record. A third party that cannot accept a transcript mailed to you can either contract with an existing IVES participant or become an IVES participant.
Form 4506-T line by line
| Line | What goes there |
|---|---|
| 1a | The name shown on the tax return. On a joint return, enter the name shown first. |
| 1b | Your EIN if the request relates to a business return. Otherwise the first SSN or ITIN shown on the return. |
| 2a | Your spouse's name as shown on the tax return, if it was a joint return. |
| 2b | The second SSN or ITIN on a joint return. |
| 3 | Your current address, with apartment, room, suite, or inmate number, city, state, and ZIP code. Include a P.O. box here if you use one. |
| 4 | The address on the last return you filed, if different from line 3. If you have not changed it with the IRS, file Form 8822 or Form 8822-B. |
| 5 | Optional customer file number, up to 10 numeric characters and no SSN. An SSN or name here prints as 9999999999 on the transcript. |
| 6 | The one tax form number you want the transcript for, such as 1040, 1065, or 1120. Only one form number per request. |
| 6a | Check for a Return Transcript, most line items of the return as filed. It does not reflect changes made after the return is processed. |
| 6b | Check for an Account Transcript, showing payments on the account, penalty assessments, and adjustments made after the return was filed. |
| 6c | Check for a Record of Account, the Return Transcript and Account Transcript combined. This is the most detailed option. |
| 7 | Check for Verification of Nonfiling, proof the IRS has no record of a filed return for the year you request. |
| 8 | Check for Form W-2, Form 1099 series, Form 1098 series, or Form 5498 series data. State and local information is not included for W-2s. |
| 9 | The end date of each tax year or period you want, in mm/dd/yyyy format. Example: 12/31/2018 for a calendar year 2018 Form 1040 transcript. |
Source: IRS, Form 4506-T (Rev. Apr 2025). This page explains the form in plain English. It is not tax advice.