Can you get tax returns of long-deceased ancestors?

Question

Is there any way to get an ancestor's tax returns from say the teens 20s or 30s? How would you go about it? I'm interested in researching some family history. Thanks.

Answer 1

Generally speaking, no you can't pull these files. You need to be the legal representative of the deceased to get such records. But if you are the executor and have access to the records, that's a different story.

Contrary to the other answer, the IRS NEVER destroys your tax inforrmation. Very simply, every return is archived on either microfilm or on a computer and is kept in their archives. The legal representative of an estate (ie the attorney or executor/administrator of the estate) has the right to request a copy of the tax information kept by the IRS.

Taxpayors only have to keep copies of their tax returns for 10 years, but the IRS never destroys them. There is no statute of limitations for tax fraud when a false or fraudulent return is filed with the intent to evade tax [IRC Sec. 6501(c)(1)]. They can, and do, go back 40-50 years to prosecute mobsters for tax fraud. It's a favorite trick of federal prosecutors after they've convicted under RICO.

Your problem in this scenario, though, is that you are very probably neither the attorney of record for the estate nor the administrator recognized by the Probate court. So you don't have standing to request this information.

Answer 2

Nope, you can't. they only keep that tax information for about 10 years.