Colorado does not issue a tax transcript the way the IRS does. To get the equivalent of a Colorado tax transcript, log in to Revenue Online and view or print your account summary, which shows your reported income, tax liability, payments, credits, refund history, and Form 1099-G. This is free, immediate, and is usually what a lender, landlord, or agency means when they ask for your Colorado transcript. If you need a certified copy of the actual return you filed, that requires a notarized Form DR 5714 mailed to the Department of Revenue.1Department of Revenue – Taxation. Request Tax Return Copies
What Revenue Online Shows
Once you’re logged in and viewing a tax year, the account summary displays your reported taxable income, total tax liability, payments and credits applied to the account, and refund information. A separate tab lists your payment history, including estimated payments and withholding. Your Form 1099-G, which reports any taxable state income tax refund from the prior year, appears in its own section of the account.2Department of Revenue – Taxation. Individual Wage Withholding, W-2 and 1099 Statements
For most transcript requests, printing or saving these screens is enough. Ask the requesting party what specific figures they need before you go further; if they only need income and payment data, you’re done at this step.
Setting Up Revenue Online Access
Go to Colorado.gov/RevenueOnline and create a login. Individual taxpayers verify identity with a Social Security Number or ITIN. Businesses use a Federal Employer Identification Number or Colorado Account Number. You’ll also need one of the following pulled from your most recently filed Colorado return:
- The federal taxable income reported on your Colorado return
- The refund amount claimed on your most recent filing
- A Letter ID from a recent CDOR letter
If you don’t have any of those, request a Letter ID from the Revenue Online homepage under “Additional Services.” Choose your ID type, submit, and the department will mail the code to the address on file. Allow up to ten business days.3Department of Revenue – Taxation. Set Up an Individual Revenue Online Account
Once your login is active, the account data is available immediately. There’s no charge for creating an account or viewing records.1Department of Revenue – Taxation. Request Tax Return Copies
When You Need a Certified Copy of the Return
Some courts, agencies, and mortgage underwriters will only accept a certified copy of the return itself, not an account summary. For that, use Form DR 5714. Fill it out, sign it in front of a notary, and mail it. The department requires original signatures from you and the notary, so faxed, emailed, or photocopied versions won’t be accepted.4Department of Revenue – Taxation. DR 5714 – Request for Copy of Tax Returns
Mail the notarized form to:
Colorado Department of Revenue
Tax Files – Room B112
P.O. Box 17087
Denver, CO 80217-00874Department of Revenue – Taxation. DR 5714 – Request for Copy of Tax Returns
Plan on six to eight weeks after the department receives your form. The only out-of-pocket cost is the notary fee and postage. Banks, shipping stores, and many law offices offer notary services.1Department of Revenue – Taxation. Request Tax Return Copies
Given the timing gap, use Revenue Online whenever the requesting party will accept the account summary, and reserve DR 5714 for situations that specifically demand a certified return.
Getting Records Through a Representative
If a CPA, attorney, or other representative is pulling records for you, the department requires Form DR 0145. The form has two functions depending on which box is checked. A Tax Information Authorization lets your designee view and request copies of your confidential records. A Power of Attorney also allows them to represent you before the department, sign returns, and file protests.5Department of Revenue – Taxation. DR 0145 – Colorado Tax Information Authorization or Power of Attorney
The department will not accept IRS power of attorney forms in place of DR 0145.6Colorado Department of Revenue. Colorado Tax Information Authorization or Power of Attorney Instructions
Getting Records for a Deceased Taxpayer
You can’t log in to a deceased person’s Revenue Online account. To get their records, submit the following to the department:
- The decedent’s full name, address, and Social Security Number
- A copy of the death certificate
- Proof of your authority: either Letters Testamentary (also called Letters of Administration or Letters of Representation, issued by the probate court) or a Power of Attorney on Form DR 0145
If you’re using a Power of Attorney, it must comply with Colorado’s Uniform Power of Attorney Act at Title 15, Article 14, Part 7 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, and must be attached to a completed DR 0145.7Department of Revenue – Taxation. Deceased Taxpayer
If Your Access Is Blocked by an Identity Verification Hold
If the CDOR flagged your return for identity verification, you’ll have received a Validation Key Letter marked “ACTION NEEDED.” You have 30 days from the date on the letter to respond. Miss that window and your return will not be processed, and any refund will not be issued, which also means the account records tied to that return won’t populate the way you expect.8Department of Revenue – Taxation. Taxpayer Identity Verification
To clear the hold after the 30-day window, send the department two items along with your Colorado Account Number (top right of the letter):
- A photo ID with your full name and photograph, such as a Colorado driver’s license, passport, or military ID
- Proof of address in your name matching the return, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or pay stub
Submit to DOR_Discovery@state.co.us, fax 303-866-3018, or mail to the Colorado Department of Revenue, Discovery Section. If you never filed the return that triggered the letter, tell the department right away using those same channels, because someone may have filed under your name.8Department of Revenue – Taxation. Taxpayer Identity Verification