A tax appointment goes more smoothly when your documents are organized before you arrive. Gathering records in advance saves time and helps you and your accountant identify missing forms or information early. Not every item below will apply to you.
Personal Information and Prior-Year Returns
- Filing status changes: note any change in marital status or household during the year.
- Dependent information: full names, dates of birth, and taxpayer identification details for anyone you may claim, along with any changes in who lived with you.
- Prior-year returns: copies of your most recent federal and state returns, especially if you are a new client.
- IRS or state notices: any letters received from the IRS, Virginia Tax, or another state tax agency, even if you believe the matter is resolved.
- Estimated tax payments: dates and amounts of any federal and state estimated payments you made.
Gather Your Income Documents
Information returns usually arrive early in the year, but some, such as corrected forms and partnership schedules, can come later. The IRS publishes a general checklist of documents to gather (opens in a new tab) that is a useful companion to this list.
- Wages: Form W-2 from each employer, plus any corrected Form W-2c.
- Interest and dividends: Forms 1099-INT and 1099-DIV.
- Investment sales: Form 1099-B and year-end brokerage statements, including cost basis information.
- Retirement distributions: Form 1099-R for pensions, annuities, IRAs, and retirement plans, and Form SSA-1099 for Social Security benefits.
- Nonemployee and payment income: Forms 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, and 1099-K from clients, payment apps, card processors, or online marketplaces.
- Pass-through income: Schedules K-1 from partnerships, S corporations, estates, or trusts.
- Government payments: Form 1099-G for items such as unemployment compensation or state tax refunds.
- Business and rental income: your own records of income received, even if no form was issued.
- Other records: digital asset transactions, gambling winnings (Form W-2G), Health Insurance Marketplace statements (Form 1095-A), and any income not reported on a form.
Documents for Deductions and Credits
Bring records of expenses that may be relevant, but keep in mind that an expense on this list is not automatically deductible. Eligibility depends on the specific rules, your income, whether you itemize, and other factors your accountant will review with you.
- Mortgage interest: Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement, for each loan.
- Property taxes: real estate and personal property tax bills and proof of payment.
- Charitable contributions: receipts, bank records, and written acknowledgments from the organizations you supported, including records of noncash donations.
- Education expenses: Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, plus records of tuition, books, and other costs, and any student loan interest statements.
- Childcare expenses: amounts paid and each provider's name, address, and taxpayer identification number.
- Retirement contributions: statements showing IRA or other contributions made for the year.
- Health-related accounts and expenses: health savings account or flexible spending account records and significant medical expenses.
- Other potentially qualifying expenses: anything you are unsure about. It is better to ask than to leave it at home.
Self-Employment and Business Records
- Profit and loss statement: a year-end income statement or summary of income and expenses.
- Business expenses: receipts, invoices, and categorized records, plus mileage logs and travel records if you use a vehicle for business.
- Asset purchases: date, cost, and description of equipment, vehicles, furniture, or software placed in service, and any assets sold or disposed of.
- Payroll information: payroll reports, filed payroll tax forms, and Forms 1099 you issued to contractors.
- Estimated payments: federal and state estimated tax payments made during the year.
Rental Property Records
- Rental income: rents received, advance rent, and security deposits retained.
- Operating expenses: management fees, utilities, cleaning, advertising, and supplies.
- Mortgage interest: Form 1098 for each rental property loan.
- Real estate taxes and insurance: bills and proof of payment.
- Repairs: invoices describing the work performed.
- Improvements and asset purchases: invoices, contracts, and dates for renovations, additions, new systems, and appliances.
- Prior depreciation schedules: from earlier returns, along with the property's purchase documents if it is newly acquired.
Keep repairs and improvements separate. They may receive different tax treatment. According to IRS Publication 527 (opens in a new tab), repair and maintenance costs may generally be deducted if they are not required to be capitalized, while improvements generally must be capitalized and recovered through depreciation. The IRS describes an improvement as work that results in a betterment, a restoration, or an adaptation of the property to a new or different use; see its guidance on the tangible property regulations (opens in a new tab).
Life Changes to Discuss With Your Accountant
Significant events can affect your filing status, income, deductions, and state filing requirements. Let your accountant know about:
- Marriage, divorce, or separation
- A birth, adoption, or other new dependent
- Moving into or out of Virginia or between other states
- Starting or forming a business
- Selling a business or an ownership interest
- Buying, selling, or refinancing real estate
- Retirement or starting retirement distributions
- Major investments, inheritances, or large gifts
Questions to Prepare Before Your Appointment
Writing down questions in advance helps you make the most of your meeting. Consider asking:
- Are there documents missing from what I provided?
- Should I adjust my withholding or estimated payments for this year?
- How does a recent life change affect my return?
- Are my business or rental records organized well enough, and what should I track differently?
- Which of my expenses may qualify for a deduction or credit, and what records support them?
- What should I plan for before the end of the year?
If your questions are about future years rather than this return, a separate tax planning conversation may be helpful.
Share Your Documents Securely
Tax documents contain highly sensitive information. Please do not send Social Security numbers, tax returns, bank statements, or other sensitive documents through our website's public contact form or by unsecured email. When appropriate, we will provide a secure document-sharing method for uploading your records.
This article is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice for your specific situation.
