Tax Document Checklist

Personal Documents:

• Copies of Current Drivers License or State IDs

• Social Security Cards

• Health Insurance Proof: Form 1095-B (if you have through Medi-Cal), Form 1095-A (Covered CA), or 1095-C (through employer) If you need help getting a form, here is who you can contact.

• Identity Protection PIN, if one has been issued to you, your spouse, or your dependent by the IRS - you can access your PIN here

• Routing and account numbers to receive your refund by direct deposit or pay your balance due if you choose

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Documents Needed for Dependents:

Parents and caregivers should gather this information as they review what they need to file their taxes.

• Dates of birth and social security numbers or tax ID numbers

• Childcare records (including the provider's tax ID number) if applicable

• Income of dependents and of other adults in your home

• Proof of Residence for dependents claiming EIC - see list of IRS acceptable documents here (most clients bring in a school sheet that reflects the student's name/ info as well as the caregiver's name and address that matches the taxpayer's info)

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If Dependent did not live with you all year, in order to claim them...

• They must have lived with you for over half of the year AND you must provide over half of their total support

• Completed Form 8332 showing that the child’s custodial parent is releasing their right to claim a child to you, the noncustodial parent (if applicable)

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Income Documents:​

Many of these forms won’t be needed to file taxes every year. For example, you will only receive the investment forms you may need to file your taxes if you had distributions or other activity.

 

Employed

• Forms W-2

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NEW for 2025:

• If you receive tips, please bring in your year end paystub with your W2

• If you receive overtime, please bring a letter from your employer stating what the overtime premium for that year was. If they did not give a letter, please ask and also bring in your year end paystub so that we can verify.

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Unemployed

• Unemployment (1099-G)

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Self-Employed (if you need a worksheet to help with income vs expenses, please click here)

• Forms 1099, Schedules K-1, income records to verify amounts not reported on 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC

• 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)

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Rental Income (if you need a worksheet to help with income vs expenses, please click here​)

• 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)

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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: SSA-1099, RRB-1099

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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)

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Expenses related to your investments

• Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040–ES)

• Transactions involving digital assets like cryptocurrency or NFTs (1099-DA)

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Other Income & Losses

• Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions - 1099-K

• Gambling income (W-2G or records showing income, as well as expense records)

• Jury duty records

• Hobby income and expenses

• Prizes and awards

• Trust income

• Royalty Income 1099–MISC

• Any other 1099s received

• Record of alimony paid/received with ex-spouse’s name and SSN

• State tax refund​

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Other Tax Documents:

• IRA contributions

• Student loan interest

• Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions

• Self-employed health insurance payments

• Keogh, SEP, SIMPLE and other self-employed pension plans

• Alimony paid that is tax deductible

• Educator expenses

• State and local income taxes paid

• Real estate taxes paid. You can look up here.

• Personal property taxes—vehicle license fee based on value. You can look up here.

• Estimated tax payment made during the year, prior year refund applied to current year, and any amount paid with an extension to file.

• Direct deposit information—routing and account numbers

• Foreign bank account information—location, name of bank, account number, peak value of account during the year

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Deduction Documents:

The types of deductions you can take depend a lot on your life situation. It’s likely you won’t need all of the documents listed below for your taxes, however we are always happy to check and see how your deductions stack up against the standard deduction!

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Home and Vehicle Ownership

• Forms 1098 or other mortgage interest statements

• Real estate and personal property tax records

• All other 1098 series forms

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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, and hospitals

• Amounts paid for qualified insurance premiums if paid outside of the Marketplace or an employer provided plan

 

Childcare Expenses

• Fees paid to a licensed day care center or family day care for care of an infant or preschooler- we will need: provider’s name, address, tax ID, and amount paid

• Amounts paid to a baby-sitter or provider care of your child under age 13 while you work

• Expenses paid through a dependent care 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 and Local Taxes

• Amount of state and local income or sales tax paid (other than wage withholding)

• Invoice showing amount of vehicle sales tax paid and / or personal property tax on vehicles

 

Retirement & Other Savings

• Form 5498-SA showing HSA contributions

• Form 5498 showing IRA contributions

• All other 5498 series forms (5498-QA, 5498-ESA)

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For 2025 and previous years taxes:

• Energy credits- receipts for energy-saving home improvements (e.g., solar panels, solar water heater) (only applies to installs prior to 12/31/2025)

• Clean Energy Vehicle Credits (only applies to vehicles purchased before 09/30/2025)