The IRS defines AGI as "gross income minus adjustments to income." Depending on the adjustments you’re allowed, your AGI will be equal to or less than the total amount of income or earnings you made for the tax year. Remember to consider all sources of income that contribute to your AGI, including:
- Wages on a W-2 or 1099 form
- Self-employment income on a Schedule C
- Interest and dividends
- Alimony from an ex-spouse (for agreements prior to 2019)
- Capital gains
- Rental income
- Other earnings subject to income tax
AGI doesn't include exemptions or standard or itemized tax deductions, so set those aside to figure into your taxable income later.
How do I find last year’s AGI?
The IRS requires your 2019 AGI to verify your identity for e-filing. If you're paper-filing your return, you won't need your AGI because those are manually processed.
There are a few places you can get your 2019 AGI:
- If you filed your 2019 taxes with TurboTax, sign in and go down to Your tax returns & documents. Select View adjusted gross income (AGI).
- If you didn’t file your taxes with TurboTax in 2019, the best place to get last year's AGI is from the 1040 form you filed with the IRS. Look on line 8b. If you filed a 1040NR, it'll be on line 35.
- If you're having trouble locating your 2019 return, the second-best place to get your AGI is from the IRS. You can order a free transcript of your return at the IRS Get Transcript site or you can purchase a full copy of your 2019 return. Both versions will include your AGI.
If you didn't file a 2019 federal tax return (or you haven't filed one yet), enter 0 as your AGI.
