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GuideTax documents checklist: what to gather before you file.
Print it, tick it, stop wondering whether you have missed something.
You need four things before anyone can prepare your return: photo ID, the Social Security or ITIN number for everyone on it, last year's return, and every income form you were sent.
Everything after that depends on your life — children, a house, a business, a rental, a move. The list below is grouped so you can skip the parts that are not you.
Everyone
- Photo ID for you, and your spouse if filing jointly
- Social Security or ITIN numbers for everyone on the returnIncluding each dependent. A wrong number is the most common reason a return gets rejected outright.
- Last year's federal returnIt carries forward more than people realise: depreciation, carryovers, state credits.
- Bank account and routing numberFor a direct deposit refund or a direct debit payment.
- Any IRS or state letters received during the yearEven ones you think were resolved.
Income
- W-2 from every employer
- 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC for contract work
- 1099-K from payment apps and platformsBring it even if the income is already in your books. The IRS gets a copy either way.
- 1099-INT, 1099-DIV and brokerage 1099-BBrokerage statements are corrected more often than any other form. Wait for the final one.
- 1099-R for retirement distributions
- SSA-1099 for Social Security
- 1099-G for unemployment or a state refund
- K-1 from a partnership, S-corp or trustThese arrive late. Tell us early if you are expecting one.
- Gambling, prize or crypto records
Deductions and credits
- Childcare provider name, address and tax ID, with amounts paid
- 1098-T for tuition, and 1098-E for student loan interest
- 1098 for mortgage interest, plus property tax paid
- Charitable donationsReceipts for anything significant, and the charity's name for the rest.
- Retirement contributions made outside workIRA contributions, and the date they were made.
- HSA contributions and distributions, with Form 1099-SA
- Health coverage form 1095-A if you bought through the marketplaceThis one actually blocks filing if it is missing.
- Medical expenses, if they were unusually large this year
If you are self-employed
- Income summary, or the books if you keep them
- Expense totals by category
- Mileage logKept during the year. A reconstruction is the part that fails under questioning.
- Home office measurements, if the space is used regularly and only for work
- Equipment bought this year, with dates and amounts
- Health insurance premiums you paid yourself
- Records of quarterly payments already madeDates and amounts. This is the one people forget, and it is money in your pocket.
If you own rental property
- Rent received per property
- Expenses: management, repairs, insurance, association fees, utilities
- Mortgage interest per property
- Last year's depreciation scheduleWithout it, depreciation restarts wrongly and follows you for years.
- Purchase or improvement records for anything new
- Days rented and days used personallyFor short-term rentals this changes the tax treatment, not just the arithmetic.
If something changed this year
- You moved states: the date, both addresses, and where income was earned
- You married, divorced or had a child
- You bought or sold a home: the closing statements for both ends
- You had storm or casualty damage: insurance claims and what was reimbursed
- You took money out of a retirement account early
How to send it
Through the secure upload link we send you. Photograph documents flat and in focus, including the small print. Never email or text a document with a Social Security number on it.
Next: how the preparation itself works, or the self-employed version of all this.
Document questions.
What documents do I need to file taxes?
At minimum: photo ID, Social Security or ITIN numbers for everyone on the return, last year's return, and every income form you were sent. After that it depends on your life: childcare and tuition, mortgage interest, retirement contributions, health coverage, and business or rental records if you have them.
What if a form has not arrived yet?
Most income forms are due to you by the end of January, with brokerage statements and K-1s often later. Do not file around a missing form. A return filed without one, or with a figure that gets corrected afterwards, is the most avoidable reason to get an IRS letter.
Do I need receipts, or is a bank statement enough?
A bank or card statement shows an amount was paid. A receipt shows what it was for. For most ordinary business expenses the statement plus a clear category is workable; for anything large or unusual, keep the receipt. Mileage is the exception: keep a log as you drive.
How long should I keep all this?
Three years covers most situations, since that is the usual window for both amending a return and for the IRS to examine one. Keep anything to do with property, and records of what you paid for it, for as long as you own it plus three years after you sell.
Can I just send photos from my phone?
Yes, through the secure upload link. Photograph the whole document flat and in focus, including the parts that look like boilerplate. Do not email them and do not text them.
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