How do I prove I've filed and paid U.S. taxes? Documents for individuals and companies, and how they're verified

U.S. taxes are split among the IRS, state tax departments and the Secretary of State, and no one agency certifies that "all taxes are paid." What people call proof of tax payment is really one of these: an IRS transcript showing the return was filed and paid, Form 6166 showing U.S. tax residency, a state certificate showing the company exists, or the return itself.

Knowing the purpose matters more than rushing to order something. The usual requests:

• A U.S. loan or bank account: usually your filed return; to verify it, the bank has you sign Form 4506-C and pulls records from the IRS.
• Shareholders, auditors in China or an agency back home wanting "filed, paid, nothing owed": an IRS transcript.
• Payments from China where the payer wants to withhold at the treaty rate: Form 6166.
• A contract or bank account where the other side wants to confirm the company exists: a state Certificate of Good Standing.

Most individuals need an IRS transcript. It's free. Download it right away from your IRS Individual Online Account (sign in with ID.me), order it by mail, file Form 4506-T, or authorize your accountant to pull it.

Ways to get a transcript:

• IRS Individual Online Account: sign in after verifying your identity with ID.me, then view and download. Fastest. You need an SSN or ITIN.
• Get Transcript by Mail: request it on IRS.gov; it goes to the address the IRS has on file, usually within 5 to 10 calendar days.
• Form 4506-T: a paper request, useful when the transcript goes to a third party or online verification fails.
• Through your accountant: sign Form 8821 (authorization to view) or Form 2848 (power of attorney), and we pull it through the IRS system for tax professionals.

Keep in mind:

• This year's return only shows up after the IRS finishes processing it. Right after filing, there's often nothing to pull yet.
• For an IRS-certified copy of the full return with all attachments, use Form 4506. There's a fee, and the IRS asks you to allow 75 calendar days. For most purposes, a transcript is enough.
• Transcripts partly mask personal identifiers. That's IRS policy and doesn't affect their use.

Companies can get IRS transcripts too: Return and Account transcripts show filing and payment, and an Entity Transcript shows the EIN, entity type and required filings. Get them through the IRS Business Tax Account, by phone, with Form 4506-T, or through your accountant.

• Business Tax Account (BTA): available to S and C corporations, with partnerships and tax-exempt organizations being added in 2026. A designated official (president, CEO, CFO, secretary, treasurer or an LLC's managing member) signs in with ID.me or Login.gov, needs an SSN or ITIN, and must revalidate every year. Single-member LLCs reporting on Schedule C can't use it yet.
• Phone or Form 4506-T: call the IRS business line to have it mailed or faxed, or file Form 4506-T.
• Through your accountant: the company signs Form 8821 and we pull it directly. This is the usual route for owners abroad who have no SSN or ITIN and can't use BTA.

To prove tax was paid, the Account Transcript lists each payment and the balance; pair it with EFTPS or IRS Direct Pay confirmations and bank records. For companies with employees, Account Transcripts for Forms 941 and 940 show payroll taxes filed and paid.

Form 6166 is the IRS's certification of U.S. tax residency, used abroad: when a payer or tax office in China wants to apply the U.S.–China tax treaty, or needs to confirm you're a U.S. tax resident. Apply on Form 8802. From Oct. 1, 2026, the fee is $105 for individuals and $230 for companies, and it takes a few weeks to a few months.

• It certifies residency, not how much tax you paid.
• It's usually requested by year, certifying U.S. residency for that year.
• For fiscally transparent entities such as partnerships and LLCs, one $230 fee covers every Form 6166 issued under the same EIN.
• Fees generally aren't refundable. Put several 6166 requests on one Form 8802 to avoid paying twice.
• If the document needs to be authenticated for use in China, an apostille is usually also required, so allow extra time.

A Certificate of Good Standing from the Secretary of State (some states call it a Certificate of Existence) shows the company exists and its state annual reports and fees are current. It says nothing about federal tax or state income tax.

• Wyoming: download it free on WyoBiz; a paper certificate is $20.
• Other states: order online from the Secretary of State; fees vary.
• Anyone can verify it: search the company name on the Secretary of State's website to see its status. In Wyoming, check Status and the three Standing indicators (Tax / RA / Other).
• Whether state taxes (for example, North Carolina corporate income tax or sales tax) are paid up is a separate question for the state tax department, and the documents and procedures differ by state.

The only U.S. document actually called a certificate of compliance is the departure clearance (the "sailing permit") some non-citizens must get before leaving the U.S.: file Form 1040-C or Form 2063 by appointment at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. Only some departing non-citizens need it; most people never will.

First decide whether the other side wants proof that you filed, that you paid, that you're a U.S. tax resident, or that your company exists.

• Situation A: a U.S. loan or bank account. Provide the filed return PDF and the e-file acceptance; if the bank wants to verify, sign Form 4506-C.
• Situation B: shareholders, auditors in China or an agency back home want "filed, paid, nothing owed." Get the Return and Account Transcripts, plus payment records if needed.
• Situation C: a payer in China wants to withhold at the treaty rate. Apply for Form 6166 on Form 8802 ($105 individual, $230 company), allow weeks to months, and add an apostille if it must be authenticated.
• Situation D: a contract or bank account needs proof the company exists. Download the Certificate of Good Standing from the Secretary of State (free online in Wyoming).