Home/Tax checklist
Tax preparation checklist
Having the right information at hand is half the battle when doing your taxes. Use this checklist to gather your important personal, employment, residential and financial information — you can avoid multiple trips to your tax professional by getting it all together now.
Personal data
- Social Security numbers (including spouse and children)
- Child care provider: name, address and tax I.D. or Social Security number
- Alimony paid: recipient Social Security number
Employment & income data
- W-2 forms for this year
- Unemployment compensation: Forms 1099-G
- Miscellaneous income including rent: Forms 1099-MISC
- Partnership, S corporation & trust income: Schedules K-1
- Pensions and annuities: Forms 1099-R
- Social Security / RRB benefits: Forms RRB-1099
- Alimony received
- Jury duty pay
- Gambling and lottery winnings
- Prizes and awards
- Scholarships and fellowships
- State and local income tax refunds: Form 1099-G
Homeowner / renter data
- Residential address(es) for this year
- Mortgage interest: Form 1098
- Sale of your home or other real estate: Form 1099-S
- Second mortgage interest paid
- Real estate taxes paid
- Rent paid during tax year
- Moving expenses
Financial assets
- Interest income statements: Forms 1099-INT & 1099-OID
- Dividend income statements: Form 1099-DIV
- Proceeds from broker transactions: Form 1099-B
- Retirement plan distributions: Form 1099-R
Financial liabilities
- Auto loans and leases (account numbers and car value) if vehicle used for business
- Student loan interest paid
- Early withdrawal penalties on CDs and other time deposits
Automobiles
- Personal property tax information
Expenses
- Gifts to charity (qualified written statement from charity for any single donation of $250 or more)
- Unreimbursed expenses related to volunteer work
- Unreimbursed expenses related to your job (travel, uniforms, union dues, subscriptions)
- Investment expenses
- Job-hunting expenses
- Job-related education expenses
- Child care expenses
- Medical savings accounts
- Adoption expenses
- Alimony paid
- Tax return preparation expenses and fees
Self-employment data
- Business income: Forms 1099-MISC and/or own records
- Partnership SE income: Schedules K-1
- Business-related expenses: receipts, other documents & own records
- Farm-related expenses: receipts, other documents & own records
- Employment taxes & other business taxes paid for current year: payment records
Miscellaneous tax documents
- Federal, state & local estimated income tax paid for current year: estimated tax vouchers, cancelled checks & other payment records
- IRA, Keogh and other retirement plan contributions: if self-employed, identify as for self or employees
- Records to document medical expenses
- Records to document casualty or theft losses
- Records for any other expenditures that may be deductible
- Records for any other revenue or sales of property that may be taxable or reportable
Fast, friendly service — that's a guarantee
Your tax professional works with you to understand your situation and reduce your tax liability, now and in the future. And they're available year-round for any tax question.