Are you prepared? Tax Filing Checklist

Need help putting together your tax documents?  The tax checklist below will help you to compile the necessary documents.

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