Help!  My Return Was Rejected Due to the Wrong Prior Year AGI

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The information in this article is up to date for tax year 2023 (returns filed in 2024).

To e-file your tax return, you must provide your prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) or your Self-Select PIN.  This serves as your electronic signature and helps the IRS confirm your identity.  Usually when you’re a returning ezTaxReturn.com customer, we’ll automatically pre-populate the adjusted gross income field for you.  New customers must manually enter their AGI. 

If the AGI you provided doesn’t match IRS records, your return will be rejected.  Unless you correct and resubmit your return, it will be like you never filed for that tax year. Most people receive acknowledgement from the IRS within 24 hours of filing so watch your emails for updates.

Reasons for getting an AGI reject

There are several reasons why taxpayers get their AGI wrong including if you filed late last year, your return is still waiting to be processed due to the IRS backlog, or you didn’t file at all. In these scenarios the IRS recommends using $0 as your prior year AGI.  Failing to complete the filing process last year means the IRS doesn’t have your return and you’ll run into problems when you try to file the next year.  Your return must be accepted for the IRS to have a prior year AGI on file. 

If you amended your taxes last year, make sure you’re using the AGI from your original return not the amended one.

Where can I find my prior year AGI?

customers can print copies of their returns from the ezDownload Center on their myAccount page.  If you used a different tax provider, you can obtain a copy of your return from them.  You can also request a transcript from the IRS to see what AGI they have on file. 

First-time filers age 16 or older must use zero as their AGI.

How to fix an AGI reject

If you did your taxes with ezTaxReturn and received Reject Code IND-031/IND-032, please take the following steps to correct your AGI.

1. Sign in to your account and when the “myAccount” page is displayed, you will see “Rejected” in the “Federal Tax Return” section. Click on “Click here for details” and the “Problems Found On Your Return” window will appear. In this window you will see the rejection code, a brief description of the problem, and a blue link which reads “Fix!”
2. Click on the “Fix!” or “Revisit” link.
3. You will be taken to the page where you can enter your AGI, with text that reads, “To correct this reject, you must correctly enter your adjusted gross income (AGI) from your 2022 tax return below.”
4. Please enter the correct AGI. If you have your income year 2022 return, you can find your AGI on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, Line 11.
5. If you do not have your prior-year return to check your AGI or in the case that the IRS has a different AGI on file for you, please click the “request a transcript online from IRS” link.
6. A pop-up window from the IRS will appear. Click on the “Get Transcript ONLINE” button. Please follow the instructions on how to get your transcript online.
7. Once you have your tax transcript, you will be able to find your AGI from the previous year’s return (income year 2022).
8. When you have your 2022 AGI and have noted it, minimize the IRS window and enter it in the box on our site.
9. Please note that you cannot use the AGI from an amended return. You must enter in your original AGI amount. In the event that you did not file last year, or filed after April 18, 2023, your AGI may be 0. If you mailed in your 2022 federal return last year to the IRS, please try $0 this year. 
10. After you have completed the process of fixing your electronic signature, click “Continue” and you will be on the “Federal Bottom Line” page. Continue through to the end of the program and click the “E-FILE MY RETURN” button to re-file.
11. Please make sure to refile your State return as well if it was rejected with your federal submission.
12. If you filed Married Filing Jointly with your spouse last year and your spouse prior year AGI was rejected, please try 0 for your spouse.

Please let us know how we can help by contacting our Customer Support team.

The articles and content published on this blog are provided for informational purposes only. The information presented is not intended to be, and should not be taken as, legal, financial, or professional advice. Readers are advised to seek appropriate professional guidance and conduct their own due diligence before making any decisions based on the information provided.