Adjusted Gross Income or Prior Year AGI: 2021

How To Obtain
A 2021 AGI?

This pages covers where to obtain your 2021 AGI amount or what to do when the IRS rejected your 2022 tax return even though you entered in your correct 2021 AGI amount.

What is your Adjusted Gross Income or AGI amount and why is it needed? Your AGI is your total adjusted gross income minus certain deductions, which reduces your income before tax calculations are made. Consider your AGI as the starting point on your return which is used by the IRS to determine if you are eligible for other tax deductions and credits. Your AGI is on your Form 1040, Line 11 and says "This is your adjusted gross income."

The 2021 AGI for a 2022 Tax Return in 2023

From January until October 16, 2023, you can e-file tax year 2022 tax returns to the IRS and state(s). As part of validating your identity, the IRS requires the 2021 Adjusted Gross Income or AGI amount as a form of taxpayer validation check.

The 2021 AGI is used by the IRS as identify validation when you e-file your 2022 tax return during 2023.
The 2021 AGI amount is on Line 11 on tax form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR of the 2021 IRS tax return.
If you filed with eFile.com, then you can use your 2021 PIN or Personal Identification number used to sign the 2021 return and eFile will fill add your AGI to your return.
Steps to obtain your 2021 AGI or how to correct a 2021 AGI are outlined below.

Important: How previous year IRS tax return processing delays might impact your 2021 AGI amount.

The has IRS announced multiple times that many of the previous year returns had been accepted by the IRS but had not been processed by the IRS.¹⁾As a result of this, your actual 2021 AGI might not match the one the IRS has on record for you when you e-file your current tax year return.

For example, even though you might have filed a 2021 Return on time, the IRS might not have full processed or entered this amount into their system, thus you might have to enter 0 - the number zero - as your 2021 AGI on your 2022 Return in order to get it accepted by the IRS.
This may be difficult to accept when you are certain that your 2021 AGI was not 0 or zero. Keep in mind, you are not validating the actual AGI amount, but rather the amount the IRS has on record at this date and time. As a result of the 2021 return processing delay, it might just still be 0 or the number zero
An incorrect 2021 AGI on your 2022 Return will result in a tax return rejection by the IRS and/or state tax agency as the IRS and states share data. It is easy to correct your AGI and resubmit your return if this happens via eFile.com. If you filed your 2021 Return on eFile.com, your 2021 AGI is ready in your My Account for you when you prepare and eFile your 2022 Tax Return. If you DID NOT prepare and e-file your 2021 Tax Return on eFile.com you will still need your 2021 AGI in order to e-file a 2022 tax return; see steps below on how to obtain this.

Steps to Obtain Last Year's AGI and/or IP-PIN

How To

Description

Correct an AGI based tax return rejection?

See instructions on how to correct your rejected IRS return due to an incorrect 2021 tax return year AGI amount. When done, re-file again for free as many times as it takes to get this corrected.

Obtain your 2021 Tax Return AGI?

Click to obtain your 2021 year Adjusted Gross Income or AGI regardless of whether you used eFile.com or not.

Obtain your 2021 Tax Return Transcript?

A tax transcript also has the previous year AGI. Click to obtain a free tax return transcript with your AGI regardless whether you used eFile.com or not.

Obtain a Tax Return Copy?

A copy of your tax return you might store offline also has the previous year AGI. Click to obtain a tax return copy regardless whether you used eFile.com or not.

Obtain the 2022 IP-PIN in 2023?

The IP-PIN does not have your AGI. Get a free IRS Identity Protection Personal Identification Number or IP-PIN will protect your tax return from fraudulent users. In addition, you can obtain an IP-PIN for your dependent(s).

Enter PIN instead of AGI?

See instructions how to use your 2021 PIN instead of your 2021 AGI. Access your Personal Identification Number you stored offline. This PIN has 5 digits and if you e-Filed your return last year you were required to enter a 5 digit PIN e.g. 12345 or 5555 as your electronic signature to sign your tax return.
Important: You can ONLY enter the previous year PIN this year if you e-filed your previous year return via eFile.com. This means that a TurboTax^® or H&R Block^® PIN from last year would not work this year with eFile.com or vice versa.

Re-eFile after AGI correction?

You can re-eFile your tax return as many times as you need to at no extra charge in case your return got rejected for any reason. In case of an AGI rejection, correct your AGI and eFile or re-submit your tax return again.

Need Help?

To get more help entering your prior year AGI, contact an eFile.com Taxpert to receive personal assistance on correcting and re-filing your tax return so the IRS accepts it.

¹⁾ Source: Ways and Means Committee Report February 2021.

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