Being prepared for your appointment with Invest Tax Pro is the first step in receiving the maximum refund from the IRS.

Fortunately, our tax preparation checklist can make light of the situation and help you discover what’s needed to complete your taxes.

Personal Information

  • Your social security number or tax ID number
  • Your spouse’s full name and social security number or tax ID number
  • Amount of any alimony paid and ex-spouse’s full name and social security number
  • Your tax returns for the previous three years. Your Tax Professional can check them for accuracy

Information About Other People Who May Belong on Your Return

  • 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)

Education Payments

  • 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

Employee Information

  • Forms W-2

Self-Employment Information

  • 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

Business Use of Vehicle Information

  • Log showing total miles driven for the year (or beginning/ending odometer readings), total business miles driven for the year (other than commuting), and the business purpose of the mileage
  • Amount of parking and tolls paid
  • If you want to claim actual expenses, receipts or totals for gas, oil, car washes, licenses, personal property tax, lease or interest expense, etc.

Rental Property Income

  • Records of income and expenses
  • Rental asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation

Retirement Income and Contributions

  • Pension/IRA/annuity income (1099-R)
  • Social security/RRB income (1099-SSA, RRB-1099)
    • Form 5498 showing IRA contributions
    • Traditional IRA basis (i.e. amounts you contributed to the IRA that were already taxed)

Savings and Investments

  • 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)

Other Income

  • Unemployment, state tax refund (1099-G)
  • Gambling income (W-2G or records showing income, as well as expense records)
  • Amount of any alimony received
  • Health Savings Account and long-term care reimbursements (1099-SA or 1099-LTC)
  • Jury duty records
  • Hobby income and expenses
  • Prizes and awards
  • Other 1099

Affordable Care Act

  • 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)

Other Deductions and Credits

  • Receipts for classroom expenses (for educators in grades K-12)
  • Form 5498-SA showing HSA contributions
  • All other 5498 series forms (5498-QA, 5498-ESA)
  • Record of moving expenses not reimbursed by employer
  • Forms 1098 or other mortgage interest statements
  • All other 1098 series forms
  • Amount of state/local income tax paid (other than wage withholding), or amount of state and local sales tax paid
  • Real estate and personal property tax records
  • Invoice showing amount of vehicle sales tax paid
  • Cash amounts donated to houses of worship, schools, other charitable organizations
  • Records of non-cash charitable donations
  • Amounts paid for healthcare insurance and to doctors, dentists, hospitals
  • Amounts of miles driven for charitable or medical purposes
  • Expenses related to your investments
  • Amount paid for preparation of last year’s tax return
  • Employment-related expenses (dues, publications, tools, uniform cost and cleaning, travel)
  • Job-hunting expenses
  • Receipts for energy-saving home improvements
  • Record of estimated tax payments made

If you were affected by a 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