Start with what the IRS already knows
Employers, banks, payment apps and others report income to the IRS. A wage and income transcript lists it for a given year: W-2 wages and withholding, 1099-NEC and 1099-K payments, interest, dividends, retirement distributions, unemployment and more.
Ways to get it:
- Your IRS Online Account, using Get Transcript.
- Form 4506-T, checking the box for wage and income information.
- A tax professional you’ve authorized with Form 8821, who can pull it for you. That’s how we start every case.
You can also contact the employer or payer for a copy.
Fill in what the IRS doesn’t know
The transcript is a starting point, not the whole return. You may also need:
- Business expenses if you were self-employed or did gig work, which bank and card records can help rebuild.
- Dependents and filing status for that year.
- Cost basis for anything you sold, such as stock or crypto.
- Income nobody reported, like cash payments, which still has to be included.
When the records really are gone
If records are lost for good, a return can be prepared from reasonable reconstruction, such as bank statements and other evidence, with a note of which figures are estimates. A licensed preparer can tell you what’s supportable for each year.