The IRS uses your prior-year AGI to verify your identity when you efile your 2020 Tax Return. You only need a prior-year AGI if you are e-Filing your tax return to the IRS. An incorrect 2019 AGI on your 2020 return will result in a tax return rejection by the IRS and/or State Tax Agency.

What do I do if I don’t have last year’s AGI?

If you can’t find your prior-year AGI, you have a couple of options. You’ll need to request a copy of a return for 2019 from the IRS, which you can do any of these ways: View or download a transcript of your return online at

Do you have to enter AGI for 2019 tax return?

If you did not efile or file a tax return last year, answer No. We will automatically enter 0 as the number to verify your identity with the IRS (0 is your AGI for 2019 if you did not or have not yet filed your 2019 return, or you did not have any income that year).

What to do if your tax return is rejected for AGI?

If it was rejected for AGI—-be aware that many 2019 returns took so long for the IRS to process that your 2019 AGI might not be in the IRS system. Try using zero instead. If filing with zero is rejected then file again but select the option that you did not file last year.

Is there no AGI on file for 2020?

After requesting our transcript, I learned that the IRS hasn’t processed our 2019 return so they have no AGI on file. Turbotax is recommending we mail in our 2020 return. Its already been several months since we mailed our 2019 return and I don’t want to be in the same place with our 2020 return taking forever.

Where can I get help entering prior year AGI?

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. What About the PIN? Lots of PINs are being referred to when efling your return.