By Mail

You can order a copy of your tax transcript from back years via mail by completing IRS Form 4506-T and mailing it to your local IRS processing center. Form 4506-T can be downloaded from IRS.gov or ordered by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM. The address of where to mail the form is located on the instructions for Form 4506-T. It usually takes about two weeks for you to receive the transcript copies in the mail.

By Phone

If you need your transcripts in a hurry, it’s usually a good idea to call the IRS directly to request them. You can reach the IRS customer service department at 1-800-829-1040 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Be prepared to answer a series of security questions before the customer service representative can access your account. Once that’s done, you can request that the customer service representative mail or fax your transcripts. If you request the transcripts by mail, you should allow around 7-10 days to receive them.

By Fax

If you request that the IRS fax your transcript, be advised that they use an automated fax transmittal system which makes three attempts to fax within a 48-hour period. This means that you’ll want to provide the customer service representative the number to a secure fax, such as an e-fax or a home fax, just in case the fax doesn’t come through immediately. Also, for security purposes, the IRS requires that you be physically at the fax machine during the call. If you are not at the fax, the representative will not send you the information. Some representatives even go so far as to send you a “test” fax to verify your location in relation to the fax machine.