You know you would rather do almost anything, but your taxes. But remember, the early bird gets the worm – completing their taxes and receiving their refunds sooner. There are certain forms and pertinent information that you will need to file your taxes (and more depending on your specific situation.) See the checklist below to get you started.
Personal Info
- Tax IDs or Social Security number – just yours for an individual return, but you will need this information for any of your dependents – if you have any.
- You will need the date of birth for anyone included on your return.
Any Investment or Income Info
- Tax Statements and W-2’s – this shows how much you earned, taxes withheld, and any other work-related tax liability. You should be receiving this by late January, for most employees.
- You will need last year’s state refund amount.
- Any 1099 Forms – this is used if you are self-employed with over $600 received, received dividends, benefits from the government, if you made 3rd party transactions, and for any distribution, or for distributions from an IRA, retirement plan, or annuity.
- Bank statements:
- Form 1098 – if you took out a home mortgage
- Form 5498 – if you made IRA contributions
- 1098-E – if you paid on a student loan debt
- Misc income records are necessary for gambling winnings, award money, lottery distributions.
Medical Expense Records
- If you receive Social Security, you will need an SSA-1099 to list the benefits for the year.
- For your health insurance, whether from your employer, private, or government supplemented you should receive a 1095-A, 1095-B, or 1095-C.
- Any receipts for medical expenses that are out of pocket can help with deductions.
Charity
- For all of the money, clothing, household items that you donate to a charitable organization, you can deduct from your taxes with a receipt with the organization names, date, and amount.
Homeownership Details
- If you itemize your deductions, write off a part of the taxes you paid with property tax records.
