What you need to file

Personal Information 

Tax Identification Numbers are mandatory items on your tax prep checklist. All taxpayers will need the following 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, 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 1040–ES)
• 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 1040–ES)
• 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 1040–ES)
  • Transactions involving cryptocurrency (Virtual currency)
• 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

The types of deductions you can take depend a lot on your life situation. It’s likely you won’t need all of the records listed below for your tax documents checklist.

• Home Ownership
  • Forms 1098 or other mortgage interest statements
  • Real estate and personal property tax records
  • Receipts for energy-saving home improvements (e.g., solar panels, solar water heater)
  • 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)
• 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
  • Form 1098-E if you paid student loan interest
• K-12 Educator Expenses
  • Receipts for classroom expenses (for educators in grades K-12)
• State & Local Taxes
  • 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