Your AGI (adjusted gross income) is a specific line on your IRS Form 1040, and which line it’s on depends on the year of the return you’re looking at.

Quick answer

  • On recent U.S. tax returns (Form 1040, including 1040-SR and 1040-NR), your AGI is on line 11.
  • If the IRS or your tax software asks for “last year’s AGI,” it means the number on line 11 of last year’s Form 1040.

Where to find AGI on different forms

For most people now, you’ll only see Form 1040, 1040-SR (seniors), or 1040-NR (nonresident).

  • Tax years 2022–2025 (Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR):
    • AGI is on Line 11.
  • Older, discontinued forms (before 2018):
    • Form 1040A: AGI was on Line 21.
* Form 1040EZ: AGI was on **Line 4**.

The form name (1040, 1040-SR, etc.) is printed in big letters at the top or upper left of the first page, so you can confirm which one you have.

If you don’t have a copy of your return

If you’re e‑filing and don’t know your prior‑year AGI, you have a couple of options:

  1. Log in to your IRS online account
    • Go to your account, open Tax Records / Tax Transcript / Return summary.
    • Your AGI from that year is shown in the return summary (and on line 11 of the digital 1040).
  1. Request a transcript of your prior‑year return from the IRS
    • Use the “Get Transcript” service to download a Tax Return Transcript ; it will list your AGI.
  1. Log into your tax software account
    • If you used an online tax prep tool (TurboTax, TaxSlayer, etc.), you can usually sign in and download the full PDF of last year’s 1040; AGI is line 11.

Why AGI matters

Your AGI is your total income minus certain adjustments (like some student loan interest, traditional IRA contributions, etc.). It’s used to:

  • Verify your identity when you e‑file (they often ask for last year’s AGI).
  • Determine eligibility or phase‑outs for various credits and deductions.

Simple example: If you earned 60,000 in wages and had 3,000 of eligible “above‑the‑line” deductions, your AGI would be 57,000, and that number appears on line 11 of Form 1040 for that year.

TL;DR: Grab your Form 1040 for that year and look at line 11 —that’s where to find AGI on a current tax return.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.