A practical checklist of what to bring or upload when you have your personal tax return prepared.
Having your documents ready makes your return faster to prepare and less likely to need a correction. Here is a checklist you can adapt to your situation.
Who and what you are filing for
- Photo ID
- Social Security numbers or ITINs for you, your spouse and your dependents
- Dates of birth for everyone on the return
- Bank account details if you want a refund by direct deposit
- Last year's tax return, if we did not prepare it
Income
- Employees: Form W-2 from each employer
- Self-employed and gig work: Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-K, plus your own records of income you were not sent a form for
- Interest and dividends: Forms 1099-INT and 1099-DIV
- Investments: Form 1099-B for sales, and records of what you originally paid
- Retirement and Social Security: Forms 1099-R and SSA-1099
- Unemployment: Form 1099-G
- Partnerships and S corporations: Schedule K-1
Deductions and credits
- Mortgage interest statement (Form 1098) and property tax records
- Charitable gift receipts
- Student loan interest (Form 1098-E) and tuition (Form 1098-T)
- Child care provider name, address and taxpayer ID, and the amount paid
- Health coverage forms, including Form 1095-A if you had marketplace coverage
- Records of retirement contributions
For self-employed people and landlords
- Income and expense records for the year, or a profit and loss statement
- Mileage log if you deduct vehicle use
- Rental income, expenses and depreciation records for each property
Notices and prior years
- Any letters from the IRS or your state, with the notice number visible
- Details of any estimated tax payments you made during the year
If you are missing something
You do not have to wait for every document. Send what you have, tell us what is missing, and we can often get copies of income forms reported under your Social Security number. If a form is late, ask the issuer rather than guessing at the numbers.
Keep copies of everything you send, and store your return and its supporting records for as long as the rules require.