Every tax season turns into a scavenger hunt: a 1099 buried in an inbox, a K-1 that hasn't arrived, a donation receipt in last year's coat pocket. The biggest cause of delays isn't complicated tax law. It's missing paperwork. Here's the complete list, so you can find everything once.
Start with last year
- A copy of last year's federal and state returns
- Any letters you received from the IRS or your state during the year
- Records of any estimated tax payments you made, with dates and amounts
Income documents
- W-2s from every employer
- 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC for contract and other income
- 1099-K from payment platforms and marketplaces
- 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, and 1099-B for interest, dividends, and investment sales
- 1099-R for retirement plan or IRA distributions
- Schedule K-1s from partnerships, S corporations, or trusts you own a share of
- Records of rental income and expenses, if you own rental property
Brokerage forms are often corrected in February or March. If your investment forms arrive early, check whether a corrected version follows before filing.
Deductions and credits
- 1098 for mortgage interest, plus property tax statements
- Receipts for charitable donations, with written acknowledgments for larger gifts
- 1098-T for tuition and education expenses
- 1095-A if you bought health coverage through a marketplace
- Childcare provider names, addresses, tax ID numbers, and amounts paid
- HSA statements, including Forms 5498-SA and 1099-SA
If you own a business
- A profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the full year, with accounts reconciled
- A list of equipment, vehicles, and other assets bought or sold during the year
- A mileage log if you use a vehicle for business
- Home office square footage and household expenses, if you work from home
- Payroll reports, including year-end W-2 and W-3 totals
- Copies of the 1099s you issued to contractors
- Loan statements showing interest paid
Make it easier next year
Keep a single folder, digital or physical, and drop documents in as they arrive. For a business, closing the books every month means year-end is a review, not a scramble. A secure client portal also makes it simple to send documents as they come in, instead of all at once.
We'd send documents as they arrive in January and February instead of all at once in April. It spreads out the work and catches a missing form while there's still time to track it down.