What do I need to bring for my individual tax return?
Here is the list of documents you need to bring to file and process the tax return, please bring those which are applicable for you and spouse (if married).
- Social Security Card(s)
- Dependents’ Social Security Numbers, and/or ITIN's
- Dependents' Birth Certificate's
- Driver License or State Issued ID
- Bank account# and Routing# for direct deposit of refund
- Last Year's Federal and State Tax Returns (new client’s only)
- Proof of Health Insurance (Form 1095A, 1095B, or 1095C)
- Health Saving Account - 1099-SA
- Wage Statements - Form W-2
- Pension or Retirement Income - Form 1099-R
- Interest and Dividend Income - Form 1099-INT/Form 1099-DIV
- State Income Tax Refund Amount - Form 1099-G
- Social Security Income - Form SSA-1099
- Unemployment Income - Form 1099-G
- Commissions Received/Paid
- Information on Sales of Stocks or Bonds - Form 1099-B
- Self-Employed Business - Form 1099-MISC
- Lottery or Gambling Winnings - Form W-2G
- Lottery or Gambling Losses
- Income and Expenses From Rentals
- Income from Partnerships, S Corporations - Schedule K-1
- IRA Contribution
- Alimony Paid or Received
- Child Care Expenses & Provider Information
– Must bring day care name, address & tax ID info
(You can claim this only if both parents working or one of them is a student)
- Medical, Eye Care, and Dental Expenses
- Cash and Noncash Charitable Donations
- Record of Purchase or Sale of Residence
- Mortgage or Home Equity Loan Interest Paid - Form 1098
- Closing Disclosure/HUD-1 statement
- Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes Paid
- State or Local Sales Taxes Paid
- Tuition and Education Fees - Form 1098-T
- Student Loan Interest - Form 1098-E
- Casualty or Theft Losses
- Estimated Taxes payment detail
- Foreign Wages, Interest and/or Dividend Income
- Foreign Tax Return (If filed)
- Foreign Taxes Paid
NOTE: Foreign Accounts: Taxpayers who are having aggregate value of all foreign accounts is $10,000 or more at any time during the year, must have to file form 114 as disclosure requirement.
What do I need to bring with me to file my business tax return?
Preparing your own business tax return, especially for the first time, can be a frustrating experience if you don't have all the necessary information at your fingertips. Here's a list of items you may find helpful when preparing your business tax return:
- Last year’s federal and state business tax returns
- Articles of incorporation [i.e. List of officers, shareholders and possibly ownership percentages]
- If S Corporation, attach S Corp Acceptance Letter
- The state in which you incorporated your business
- Partnership agreement [i.e. Date the partnership started, List of partners, The amount of money each partner initially put into the partnership, and current ownership percentages, Details about any specific income or expense items that are NOT allocated based on profit, loss or ownership percentages, The method you use for tracking your business finances]
- Accounting records [If you use accounting software, such as QuickBooks or Quicken, to record your financial information, print out a Profit and Loss Statement and a Balance Sheet for quick reference as you begin your tax return. If not, you may wish to compile this information in an Business Income and Expnese worksheet. Regardless of which software you use, organizing your accounting records makes tax preparation much easier.]
- Bank statements [Analyzing deposits and expenditures will enable you to categorize income and deductions to prepare your tax return. It's a good idea to reconcile your ending cash balance to the checking account balance on your last bank statement of the year to ensure you've captured all cash transactions in your accounting records.
- Credit card statements
- Payroll reports including All Forms 941 and Form 940
- Copy of All W2,W3, and 1099 -Misc issued by your company (If any)
- Detail of asset purchases
- Detail of asset dispositions
- Depreciation Schedules
- Vehicle information
Note: Your previous year's return also is a great comparison tool once you think you have completed your current-year tax return. It can raise red flags about possible missed deductions, or items that seem unusually large or small in comparison to the prior year.
I do not have last year's business tax return, what do I need to bring?
In addition to above list, you need to bring the following:
- The method you use to track your business finances (cash vs. accrual)
- Your federal and state tax ID number
- The date you incorporated or started your business
- The date you elected to become an S corporation
- Your business code number and business activity descriptions
- The method you use to track your inventory (if applicable)
- Your beginning balance sheet amounts
(these are the same as the prior year's ending balance sheet amounts)
- Shareholder or partner information if there are no changes