3 Ways to Find Out What the IRS Has on You

You should file a tax return every year that you work or have other income to report. While you may only keep those tax returns or associated documents for a few years, the IRS will keep them for much longer. The IRS may also have a lot of other information on you, such as income reported from employers and contractors or winnings reported from other agencies.

You need to know what information the IRS has about you so that you aren’t surprised with an audit. You may also need to know that information if you are thinking about buying a house, need to change your visa or citizenship status, or other situations. Here are three easy ways that you can get the information that the IRS has about you:

Request Copies of Your Tax Returns

You should be keeping your own copies of tax returns that you have filed. If you haven’t, you can request copies from the IRS. However, the service won’t be cheap, nor will it be quick. You have to pay $50 for each copy of a tax return that you need, and it can take up to 75 days for the copy to reach you. If you are dealing with a time-sensitive matter, you may not be able to get the information that you need in time.

Transcripts of Tax Returns or Your Account

You may not always need the full tax return. Or you may be under a timeline, and you may not be able to wait to get the full return. Ordering the transcript may suffice, or you may be able to use the transcript to provide summary information until the full return can arrive.

Tax transcripts include forms and schedules that are filed with your tax return, which you may need, as well. If you need even more information, you might want to request a transcript of your tax account, which will show whether an amendment was filed on a return, will show your filing status, and will show basic information like adjusted gross income.

The nice thing about transcripts is that they are free, and you can get them in as little as five to 10 days. Many lenders will accept a transcript as proof of income instead of a tax return, which can save you money and help you get the information you need more quickly.

Freedom of Information Act

You may find yourself in a situation in which you need more information besides what’s offered in your return or transcripts, or you need information provided by another agency under the purview of the IRS. In such instances, you can file a request under the Freedom of Information Act. An FOIA request must include details about the type of documents requested and the information included on them. Once the request is received, a charge will be calculated based on the amount of time and resources required to fulfill the request. The more complicated the request, the more expensive it will be to get the information.

There are some exemptions that the IRS may use to deny fulfilling an FOIA request. An example would be information that is deemed classified or that is part of a current investigation.

If you are applying for a loan, you can easily get the information you need through one of these outlets. However, if you are facing a tax controversy or legal issue, you should not try to handle it yourself. You should contact an experienced tax attorney to represent you through the process and to request and provide all the information on your behalf.

Contact an experienced Scottsdale tax lawyer at Silver Law PLC if you are dealing with a tax problem or are facing penalties from the IRS. An experienced Arizona tax lawyer from our team can review your case and help you understand your legal rights and options. Our attorneys have all worked at IRS lawyers in the past, and they have a comprehensive understanding of tax law. Call us today to talk with an IRS tax relief lawyer.

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