How do I obtain Paypal statements from the past 7 years?

[Evianstrik9]

I am trying to obtain statements from the past 7 years because I am being audited for multiple years and need to be able to show my expenses. When I try to customize a request the page states I can go back 7 years, but then it takes me to a page that only says I can go up "3 years" and it does not let me go back 7 years. I tried contacting Paypal different ways, including the customer service number,[Removed. Phone #s not permitted] and cannot speak to anyone. I don't understand how I am possibly supposed to be able to obtain important records for these tax audits. 

[PayPal_RebeccaN]

Hi @Evianstrik9,

Thank you for posting in the PayPal Community! 

I understand you would like to generate account reports. 

You can download a report of all your transaction activity for up to the past 7 years into PDF, Quicken, QuickBooks, or as a CSV or TAB file.

Here is how to create and download an activity report from your computer:

1. Go to Activity.
2. Click Statements on the right of the page, then click Custom.
3. Select the transaction type, date range and file format.
4. Click Create Report.
5. When the report is ready, click Download.

To view your running balance, select "Balance affecting" under "Transaction type." Your running account balance is shown in the "Balance" column.

If you are still running into issues while trying to generate these, we can help you with this. 

To contact our Customer Service team, click 'Help' or 'Contact' at the bottom of any PayPal Webpage. 

You can also contact us via Facebook or Twitter DM's. 

For Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PayPal

For Twitter: @AskPayPal

I hope this helps, have a nice day! 
-Rebecca 

[Evianstrik9]

Thank you for replying. Unfortunately, the Paypal website information you posted does not seem to be accurate. I have tried this many ways, and cannot go back 7 years as it says. One problem is that when I select Activity and then Statements, the next page does not have the word, "Custom." 

The best I can do from there is guess, but even when I try different things, there is no option to go back 7 years. 

I'm very worried because I'm being audited going back to 2014 and about to have my wages garnished for amounts I will be paying on the rest of my life. This is because I cannot access these statements to show any expenses, and the IRS is treating my ebay sales as if they were all profit, when most was expense. Apparently, if they audit you for one year, they see you as an easy target and then audit you for multiple years. 

I have tried calling the customer service line multiple times to talk to someone, and I tried sending a message and talking to someone on Facebook but have not been able to talk to a real person. I have already gotten a tax lawyer involved, and I desperately need help because this is literally about to ruin my life. 

[Evianstrik9]

I think I finally found what I needed, to a certain extent, but the directions are different. 

First, I have to, of course, go to "Activity" and "Statements" like this says, but then I have to click on "See More Reports." 

Then I go to "Activity Download." 

Next when I select a date range, I have to select the calendar image at the bottom and then click back month by month until I reach the month and year I am looking for. 

Then I have to select a day on the calendar before I can bring up the right dates. Finally, I can click "Create Report." 

This seemed to have helped me pull up most of the dates I need, but it only goes back exactly 7 years. 

Is there a way to go back more than 7? I can't even go back to the beginning of January 2015, which is frustrating because I have spent the past two weeks just trying to retrieve this information and now those are more dates lost. 

Well, I really hope this information helps someone else looking for help with the same problem, because I kept seeing the same inaccurate information every time. Maybe the website changed sometime and the steps listed need to be updated.