26 Oct How can I get a copy of a past tax return the IRS changed?

Q. I had unemployment benefits in 2020 and the IRS automatically changed my tax return when Congress made some unemployment income tax-free. I don’t have an updated version of my tax return. How can I get a new copy in case I ever need it?
— Working again

A. Lots of people were happy to see the exclusion of $10,200 of unemployment income from taxes.

But the timing was tricky because many people had filed their tax returns before the change.

When the IRS adjusts a tax return, its policy is to send a notice detailing that change, said Michael Karu, a certified public accountant with Levine, Jacobs & Co. in Livingston.

“With the huge number of tax returns that needed to be adjusted due to the late amendment to the tax code allowing for a potential deduction of up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits received, some people may not have received it,” he said. “The IRS can provide a copy of your submitted return, but it would not show the adjustment.”

Your best option would be to download both the Tax Transcript and the Account Transcript from the IRS website, Karu said.

“Those combined with a copy of the return that you filed and the letter from the IRS noting the adjustment should be sufficient for any lender,” he said. “If you did not get the notice from the IRS advising of the change, a letter from you explaining what had happened should suffice.”

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This story was originally published in on Oct. 26, 2021

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