Before preparing your taxes, go through the following checklist. You may be surprised at how much time you save by organizing your information beforehand.

Before you start tax preparation

1. Download and print this checklist as a PDF. 
   (Don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader? Download it here. Or, print this page and use the checklist below.)
2. Place the checklist in a file folder, or attach it to the outside of the folder.
3. As you receive or locate tax documents, place them in the folder and check them off the list.
4. Scratch off anything on the list that doesn’t apply to your tax situation (it’s organized with the most common items on the first page).
5. Enter information and amounts that are not already available on other documents, such as your bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit.

If you use a program such as Quicken® to keep track of your finances, print a report of your transactions for the tax year (e.g. 2022). This will make your tax preparation much easier, and helps you clearly see where your money goes each year.

• Having this information in a report is much easier than going through your checks and bank statements for the entire year.
• As you review the report, highlight information you will need to prepare your tax return or make notes to remind yourself of something later.

Personal information

The IRS needs to know exactly who’s filing and who is covered in your tax return. To do this, you will need Social Security numbers and dates of birth for you, your spouse and dependents.

Information about your income

• Income from jobs: forms W-2 for you and your spouse
• Investment income—various forms 1099 (-INT, -DIV, -B, etc.), K-1s, stock option information
• Income from state and local income tax refunds and/or unemployment: forms 1099-G
• Taxable alimony received (Applicable to divorces finalized before January 1, 2019)
• Business or farming income—profit/loss statement, capital equipment information
• If you use your home for business—home size, office size, home expenses, office expenses.
• IRA/pension distributions—forms 1099-R
• Rental property income/expense—profit/loss statement, rental property suspended loss information
• Social Security benefits—forms SSA-1099
• Income from sales of property—original cost and cost of improvements, escrow closing statement, cancelled debt information (form 1099-C)
• Prior year installment sale information—forms 6252, principal and Interest collected during the year, SSN and address of payer
• Other miscellaneous income—jury duty, gambling winnings, Medical Savings Account (MSA), scholarships, etc.