Tax Preparation
Use the tax checklist below to find the documents and forms you will need to get started.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
- Your social security number or tax ID number
- Your spouse's full name and social security number or tax ID number
DEPENDENT(S) INFORMATION
- Dates of birth and social security numbers or tax ID numbers
- Childcare records (including the provider's tax ID number) if applicable
- Income of other adults in your home
- Form 8332 showing that the child’s custodial parent is releasing their right to claim a child to you, the
noncustodial parent (if applicable)
SOURCES OF INCOME
- Employed
- Forms W-2
- Unemployed
- Unemployment, state tax refund (1099-G)
- Self-Employed
- Forms 1099-MISC, Schedules K-1, income records to verify amounts not reported on 1099s
- Records of all expenses — check registers or credit card statements, and receipts
- Business-use asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation
- Office in home information, if applicable
- Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040ES)
- Rental Income
- Records of income and expenses
- Rental asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation
- Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040ES)
- Retirement Income
- Pension/IRA/annuity income (1099-R)
- Traditional IRA basis (i.e. amounts you contributed to the IRA that were already taxed)
- Social security/RRB income (1099-SSA, RRB-1099)
- Savings & Investments or Dividends
- Interest, dividend income (1099-INT, 1099-OID, 1099-DIV)
- Income from sales of stock or other property (1099-B, 1099-S)
- Dates of acquisition and records of your cost or other basis in property you sold (if basis is not reported
on 1099-B)
- Health Savings Account and long-term care reimbursements (1099-SA or 1099-LTC)
- Expenses related to your investments
- Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040ES)
- Other Income & Losses
- Gambling income (W-2G or records showing income, as well as expense records)
- Jury duty records
- Hobby income and expenses
- Prizes and awards
- Trusts
- Royalty Income 1099 Misc.
- Any other 1099s received
- Record of alimony paid/received with Ex-spouse’s name and SSN
TYPES OF DEDUCTIONS
- Home Ownership
- Forms 1098 or other mortgage interest statements
- Real estate and personal property tax records
- Receipts for energy-saving home improvements
- All other 1098 series forms
- Charitable Donations
- Cash amounts donated to houses of worship, schools, other charitable organizations
- Records of non-cash charitable donations
- Amounts of miles driven for charitable or medical purposes
- Medical Expenses
- Amounts paid for healthcare insurance and to doctors, dentists, hospitals
- Health Insurance
- Form 1095-A if you enrolled in an insurance plan through the Marketplace (Exchange)
- Form 1095-B and/or 1095-C if you had insurance coverage through any other source (i.e . an employer,
insurance company, government health plan such as Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, VA, etc.)
- Marketplace exemption certificate (ECN) if you applied for and received an exemption from the
Marketplace (Exchange)
- Childcare Expenses
- Fees paid to a licensed day care center or family day care for care of an infant or preschooler.
- Wages paid to a baby-sitter.
- Don't include expenses paid through a flexible spending account at work.
- Educational Expenses
- Forms 1098-T from educational institutions
- Receipts that itemize qualified educational expenses
- Records of any scholarships or fellowships you received
- Form1098-E if you paid student loan interest
- Job Expenses & Tax Prep Fees
- Employment related vehicle expenses (tolls, mileage, gas, maintenance, license, property tax,
interest expense, parking)
- Receipts for classroom expenses (for educators in grades K-12)
- Employment-related expenses (dues, publications, tools, uniform cost and cleaning, travel)
- Job-hunting expenses
- Record of moving expenses not reimbursed by employer
- Amount paid for preparation of last year’s tax return
- State & Local Taxes or Sales Tax
- Amount of state/local income tax paid (other than wage withholding), or amount of state and local
sales tax paid
- Invoice showing amount of vehicle sales tax paid
- Retirement & Other Savings
- Form 5498-SA showing HSA contributions
- Form 5498 showing IRA contributions
- All other 5498 series forms (5498-QA, 5498-ESA)
- Federally Declared Disaster
- City/county you lived/worked/had property in
- Records to support property losses (appraisal, clean up costs, etc.)
- Records of rebuilding/repair costs
- Insurance reimbursements/claims to be paid
- FEMA assistance information
- Check FEMA site to see if my county has been declared a federal disaster area