Where do I find last year's federal refund so I can report it on this year's taxes?

When filing this year’s tax return, you may be asked to provide last year’s federal tax return amount to confirm your identity. There are a few ways to gather this information.

First, if you filed online, you can visit the online software provider’s website, log in to your account, and download former copies of past refunds. You may also want to check your inbox to see if you still have emails with last year’s filing information sent from your online tax provider. 

If you filed your taxes with an accountant or in-person at a professional tax service, you can reach out to the service and ask for a copy of your tax refund from last year or to verify the amount of your refund.

You also have some other options. You can check your bank account to see if you can locate the direct deposit or check deposit into your account and capture the refund amount this way. You may also be able to check your files (either physical files or on your computer) to see if you saved last year’s tax return.

Lastly, you can request a transcript of your tax return from the IRS by creating or logging into your online account and selecting “Get transcript.” You can also reach the IRS by phone at 1-800-908-9946 or through the mail by submitting tax form 4506-T or 4506-T-EZ. If you need a copy of your return — and not just a transcript — you can request this by filing form 4506 and paying a $43 fee.