You can create and file tax returns for the current and two prior tax years with TaxAct. Go to our Access Prior Year Tax Returns webpage for a list of available Online and Desktop programs for previous years.

Open/Create

If you were a prior-year TaxAct Online user, but you did not finish your prior-year return (or if you need to start a new return for a previous tax year), you can still prepare and print your return using our TaxAct Online service. When you are ready to proceed, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your TaxAct account .
2. Expand the My Returns & Details section.
3. Expand the 20YY Returns section.
4. Select the applicable tax year.
5. Then, either open an existing return or start a new return:
   1. Click Open Return to open an existing return.
   2. Click Start a New 20YY Return to create a new return.

Filing

Most individuals who wish to file their own prior-year return will need to print and mail it. If you have been issued an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) from the IRS, however, you can e-file a prior-return. See IRS Identity Protection PIN – Identity Theft (IP PIN) for details. 

Generally, the IRS allows electronic filing year-round, except for an annual maintenance period. See the FAQ IRS Modernized e-File System Shutdown Period for details.

Each year the TaxAct program will allow electronic submissions for prior year returns as soon as the Final version of the software is released in January; however, the returns will not actually be transmitted to the IRS until they are ready to start processing them.