Individual Tax Prep Checklist
Disclaimer: You must be onboarded by an accountant first before submitting any confidential data or information.
Personal Checklist
Returning Clients: Make sure your personal information is current and up-to-date. If a document is expired, please provide the new version for the current tax year.
Driver’s License / State ID / U.S. Passport (Front & Back)*
Social Security Number (SSN) / Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)*
Marriage Certificate (if married)
Provide Current Job Title*
Provide Current Residential Address
Let us know if you’re a Renter or Homeowner
U.S. Resident Alien - Provide Green Card*
Nonresident Alien - Provide Foreign Passport, Visa or Immigration Documents*
Member of the U.S. Armed Forces - Provide your military organization type and combat zone.*
Choose Filing Status:
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Married Filing Separately
Head of Household (must have at least 1 dependent to claim)
Qualifying Surviving Spouse (spouse died in the prior two years)
Bank Account
Refunds: Please provide your bank account # and routing # to receive your refunds electronically.
Tax Payments: Please provide your bank account # and routing # to electronically withdraw tax payments.
Claiming Dependents:**
Full Legal Name
Social Security Number
Date of Birth
Relationship (example: daughter, nephew, mother, grandfather, etc.)
Birth Certificate (if dependents are under 18 years old)
IP PIN - Required only for enrolled individuals and/or dependents. An identity protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). The IP PIN is known only to you and the IRS. A CP01A Notice will be mailed to you which includes your new IP PIN each year. This IP PIN is generally available in your online account starting in mid-January through mid-November. You may retrieve it online here: GET AN IP PIN*
*If you are legally married and planning to file jointly, please provide your spouse’s information as well.
**If you are claiming more than 1 dependent, please provide the information for each dependent.
Tax Form Checklist
Income Checklist
Personal Earned Income
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Wage and Tax Information
Issued by employers to report an employee's annual wages and the amount of taxes withheld from their paycheck. This form includes information such as the employee's income, Social Security earnings, Medicare earnings, and federal and state taxes withheld.
Ready By: January 31st
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Certain Gambling Winnings
Issued by casinos and other gaming establishments to individuals who receive significant winnings from gambling activities, such as lotteries, sweepstakes, horse or dog racing, and casinos. It includes details about the type of gambling, the amount won, and any taxes withheld.
Ready By: January 31st
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Interest Income
This form details the amount of interest income earned on savings accounts, interest-bearing checking accounts, and investments such as certificates of deposit (CDs) or bonds. Commonly issued by banks, government agencies, and other financial institutions.
Ready By: January 31st
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Dividends and Distributions
Used by banks and financial institutions to report dividends and distributions received by a taxpayer from investments. This includes ordinary dividends, qualified dividends, total capital gains distributions, non-taxable distributions, federal income tax withheld, foreign taxes paid, and foreign source income.
Ready By: January 31st
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Government Payments
This form typically includes unemployment compensation, state or local income tax refunds, credits, offsets, reemployment trade adjustment assistance (RTAA) payments, taxable grants, and agricultural payments.
Ready By: January 31st
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Cancellation of Debt
Creditors report the cancellation or forgiveness of a debt exceeding $600. This form is typically issued when a lender forgives or cancels a debt, such as credit card debt, mortgage debt, or car loans, without expecting repayment.
Ready By: January 31st
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Proceeds from Real Estate Transactions
This form is used to report the sale or exchange of real estate. It’s typically issued by the person responsible for closing the transaction, such as a title or escrow company.
Ready By: January 31st
Self Employment Income
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Nonemployee Compensation
A tax form used to report income paid to freelancers, independent contractors, and other non-employees for services rendered in the course of a trade or business. This form is used when payments to an individual, partnership, estate, or in some cases, a corporation, exceed $600 in a year.
Ready By: January 31st
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Miscellaneous Income
Report various types of income other than wages, salaries, and tips. This form is typically used for payments such as:
• Rent
• Prizes & Awards
• Medical & Health Care Payments
• Crop Insurance Proceeds
• Fish or Other Aquatic Life
• Payments to an Attorney
It also includes sections for reporting direct sales of at least $5,000 of consumer products and certain substitute payments in lieu of dividends or interest.
Ready By: January 31st
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Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions
This includes payments processed through platforms like:
• Cash App
• Venmo
• PayPal
• Stripe
• eBay
• Amazon
• Etsy
• Square
• QuickBooks
• POS Systems
It's important for taxpayers, especially those operating businesses or engaging in e-commerce, to accurately report this income on their tax returns.
Ready By: January 31st
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Partner's Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc.
A tax document used to report an individual's share of income, deductions, credits, and other tax items from:
• Partnerships / LLC’s
• S corporations
• Estate Beneficiaries / Trusts
Each partner, shareholder, or beneficiary receives a Form K-1 from the entity, detailing their portion of income or loss for the year, which must then be reported on their personal tax returns.
Ready By: March 15th
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When reporting rental income, you should include the following types of income:
• Rental Payments: The most obvious type of income to report is the rent payments you receive from tenants. This includes any advance rent payments you receive (rent paid before the period it covers).
• Security Deposits: Normally, security deposits are not included in your income when you receive them if you plan to return them to your tenants at the end of the lease. However, if you keep part or all of the security deposit during the year because your tenant does not live up to the terms of the lease (e.g., for damage repair or unpaid rent), that amount becomes taxable income in the year it's kept.
• Expenses Paid by Tenant: If your tenant pays any of your expenses, those payments are rental income. For example, if your tenant pays the water or sewer bill for your rental property and deducts it from the normal rent payment, the amount the tenant paid is considered rental income.
• Property or Services in Lieu of Rent: If you receive property or services as rent, instead of money, you must include the fair market value of the property or services in your rental income.
• Lease Cancellation Payments: If a tenant pays you to cancel a lease, this is also considered rental income.
Form Schedule E is required to be filed.
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This can range from rideshare, ecommerce, or any other side gigs without any legal entity formed.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act 2025
No Tax on Tips - Required Documents
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☐ Copy of 2025 Form W-2 (all pages)
☐ Copy of 2025 paystubs
• Year-end summary preferred, or
• Last paystub showing year-to-date totals
☐ Confirm your job title for 2025
☐ Confirm whether you were hourly or salaried
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If you are an employee (restaurant, bar, hospitality, etc.)
☐ W-2 showing Box 7 (Social Security tips)
☐ Any tip reports you submitted to your employer (if available)
☐ If applicable, Form 4137 (unreported tips)
If you are self-employed or a contractor:
☐ Tip log showing:
Date received
Amount of tip
How it was received (cash, card, app)
☐ Form 1099-K or 1099-NEC (if issued)
Tip logs can be a spreadsheet, notes app, or written log. IRS allows reasonable records for 2025.
No Tax on Overtime - Required Documents
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☐ Copy of 2025 Form W-2 (all pages)
☐ Copy of 2025 paystubs
• Year-end summary preferred, or
• Last paystub showing year-to-date totals
☐ Confirm your job title for 2025
☐ Confirm whether you were hourly or salaried
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☐ Copy of paystubs showing overtime pay
Confirm whether overtime was paid at:
☐ Time-and-a-half (1.5×)
☐ Double time (2×)
☐ Other (please specify)
Does your paystub show:
☐ Overtime hours
☐ Overtime rate
☐ Overtime premium (extra portion)
Confirm:
☐ I am eligible for overtime under federal labor law (FLSA)
(Most hourly employees are eligible; many salaried managers are not.)
Car Loan Interest Deduction - Required Documents
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☐ Make, model, and year of the vehicle
☐ Date the vehicle was purchased
☐ Confirm the vehicle was new at purchase
☐ Confirm the vehicle is used primarily for personal use
☐ Yes ☐ No
☐ Vehicle loan was incurred after Dec. 31, 2024
Business-use vehicles do not qualify for this deduction.
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☐ Vehicle was finally assembled in the United States
Please provide one of the following:
☐ Window sticker / Monroney label
☐ Purchase agreement showing final assembly location
☐ Manufacturer documentation (if available)
Final assembly must occur in the U.S. to qualify.
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☐ Copy of loan agreement
☐ Name of lender (bank, credit union, dealership, etc.)
☐ Loan start date
☐ Loan is in your name (not business entity)
☐ Was the loan used only to purchase the vehicle?
☐ Yes ☐ No
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☐ 2025 loan interest statement from lender
☐ Or year-end loan summary showing interest paid
☐ Or monthly statements clearly showing interest amounts
Lenders may issue a separate interest statement similar to a Form 1098.
Provisions / Rules
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“Qualified tips” include voluntary cash or charged tips received from customers, including shared tips.
Maximum annual deduction is $25,000.
For self-employed individuals, deduction cannot exceed net income (before this deduction) from the trade or business where tips were earned.
Phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers).
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Effective 2025 through 2028, individuals may deduct the portion of qualified overtime pay that exceeds their regular rate of pay (for example, the “half” portion of “time-and-a-half”).
Overtime must be reported on Form W-2, Form 1099, another statement furnished to the individual, or directly by the individual.
Maximum annual deduction is $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers).
Phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers).
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Overview of the new deduction
Effective 2025 through 2028, individuals may deduct interest paid on a loan used to purchase a qualified vehicle for personal use that meets other eligibility criteria. Lease payments do not qualify.
Maximum annual deduction is $10,000.
Phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $100,000 ($200,000 for joint filers).
What counts as qualified interest
Interest must be paid on a loan that:
Originated after December 31, 2024
Was used to purchase a vehicle originally used by the taxpayer
Was secured by a lien on the vehicle
Was for a personal-use (nonbusiness) vehicle
If a qualifying vehicle loan is later refinanced, interest paid on the refinanced amount is generally eligible for the deduction.
What counts as a qualified vehicle
A qualified vehicle is a car, minivan, van, SUV, pickup truck or motorcycle that:
Has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds
Underwent final assembly in the United States.
To verify final assembly, check one of these:
The vehicle label at the dealership
The vehicle identification number (VIN)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA VIN Decoder (verify vehicle assembly location)
The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act significantly affects federal taxes, credits and deductions. It was signed into law on July 4, 2025, as Public Law 119-21, and takes effect in 2025. View all changes here here: OBBBA
Health Coverage & Insurance Checklist
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Health Insurance Marketplace Statement
A tax form sent to individuals who have purchased health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This form provides details about the insurance policy, including the type of coverage, the premiums paid, and any advance payments of the premium tax credit. Form 1095-A is essential for taxpayers to reconcile the advance payments of the premium tax credit on their tax returns and to claim the premium tax credit, if eligible.
Ready By: February 1st
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Health Coverage
This coverage can include a variety of plans, such as employer-provided health insurance, government-sponsored programs like Medicare or Medicaid, and other health insurance providers.
Ready By: January 31st
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Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage
Typically those with 50 or more full-time employees, including full-time equivalent employees, report information about the health insurance coverage offered to their employees under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This form includes details about the type of coverage offered, the lowest-cost premium available to the employee, and the months during which coverage was available. It also indicates whether the employee enrolled in the coverage.
Ready By: January 31st
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HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA Information
A tax form used by trustees or custodians of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), or Medicare Advantage MSAs to report contributions made to these accounts during the tax year.
Ready By: May 31st
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Distributions from an HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA
Report distributions made from a Health Savings Account (HSA), Archer Medical Savings Account (MSA), or Medicare Advantage MSA. Usually issued by the financial institution where the account is held and includes information on the total amount of distributions taken from the account during the tax year. It details whether the distributions were used for qualified medical expenses, which is important for tax reporting purposes.
Ready By: January 31st
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Out-Of-Pocket Medical Expenses
You can only deduct medical expenses for you and any dependents on Schedule A if those expenses are greater than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.
Eligible Expenses:
• Health Insurance Premiums
• Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums
• Doctors, Dentists, Chiropractors, Psychiatrists, and Other Medical Professionals
• Hospital Expenses
• Prescriptions
• Eyeglasses, Contact Lenses,
• Wheelchair
• Travel Expenses for Medical Reasons
• Acupuncture
• Alcoholism Treatment
• Ambulance Costs
• Birth Control Pills
• Child birth classes
• Dentures
• Drug Addiction Treatment
• Dyslexia Reading Programs
• Tutors
• Guide Dogs
• Insulin
• Laboratory Fees
• Nursing Home for Medical Treatment
• Physical Therapy
Investments & Retirement Checklist
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Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc.
This form is used to report distributions from retirement plans including:
• Pensions
• Annuities
• 401(k)
• Profit-sharing Plans
• Traditional IRA
• Roth IRA
• SEP-IRA
• SIMPLE IRA
• Insurance contracts.
It includes details such as the gross distribution, taxable amount, federal income tax withheld, and contributions or premiums paid.
Ready By: January 31st
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Proceeds From Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions
A tax document used to report sales or redemptions of securities, commodities, and barter exchange transactions. Financial brokers and barter exchanges issue this form to clients to report the sale or exchange of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investment properties. It includes details such as the date of the transaction, the proceeds from the sale, cost basis, and whether the gain or loss is short-term or long-term.
Ready By: February 15th
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Social Security Benefit Statement
A tax form sent by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to individuals who receive Social Security benefits. It details the total amount of benefits received during the tax year, including retirement, survivor, and disability benefits.
Ready By: January 31st
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IRA Contribution Information
This includes traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, and SIMPLE IRA contributions. The form also reports rollovers, recharacterizations, and the fair market value (FMV) of the IRA account at the end of the year.
Ready By: May 31st
School & Education Checklist
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Tuition Statement
Issued by educational institutions to report amounts paid for qualified tuition and related expenses, as well as scholarships or grants received by the student.
Ready By: January 31st
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Student Loan Interest Statement
Issued by lenders to report the amount of interest paid on student loans during the tax year.
Ready By: January 31st
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• Books / eBooks
• Supplies
• Equipment
• Course Materials
• Course Software
• Laptop or Computer: If the computer is needed as a condition of enrollment or attendance at the educational institution, it would qualify.
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Educator Expense Deduction
Full-time (900 hours during a school year) kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, instructors, counselors, principals, or aides can deduct up to $300 for out-of-pocket expenses that they pay for professional development courses related to curriculum or students they teach, supplies, books, equipment, and supplementary materials used in their classroom.
Energy Checklist
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Residential Energy Credit
Efficient improvements on your home includes:
• Solar Electric Panels
• Solar Water Heating
• Small Wind Energy
• Geothermal Heat Pump
• Battery Storage Technology
• Fuel Cell Property
• Central Air Conditioners
• Natural Gas, Propane, or Oil Water Heaters
• Natural Gas, Propane, or Oil Furnace or Hot Water Boilers
• Improvement or Replacement of Panelboards, Sub Panelboards, Branch Circuits, or Feeders
• Electric or Natural Gas Heat Pumps
• Electric or Natural Gas Heat Pump Water Heaters
• Qualified Biomass Stoves and Boilers
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Federal Tax Credits for Plug-in Electric and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Purchased in 2023 or After
See the eligible vehicles that qualify:
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Installation of alternative fuel vehicle refueling property at your main home.
Qualified alternative fuel vehicle refueling property includes any property (other than a building or its structural components) used to:
Store or dispense an alternative fuel used by a motor vehicle if the storage or dispensing is located where you fill the tank.
Recharge an electric vehicle if the recharging property is located where the vehicle is recharged.
Itemized Deductions Checklist
Home
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Mortgage Interest Statement
This form includes information on mortgage interest paid, points, mortgage insurance premiums, and certain real estate taxes paid.
Ready By: January 31st
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Any mortgage insurance premiums that are not on a Form 1098. Sometimes called Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI.
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All personal real estate taxes paid for your home, vacation home, land, or other types of property. Usually sent to you as a property tax bill. County tax are generally tax-deductible too.
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A casualty or theft related to a federally declared disaster such as from a hurricane, tornado, fire, theft, or vandalism.
Note: The uninsured portion of the loss must be greater than 10% of your income.
Contributions
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Donations are deductible if you made them to a qualified organization such as a church, non-profit organization, or other charitable organizations. Donations you made directly to individuals in need aren't deductible.
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A noncash donation is a contribution not made by cash or check. This includes items such as furniture or clothing donated to the Salvation Army or other qualified charitable organizations.
If you contributed more than $500 worth, then receipts or statements are required.
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If you incurred unreimbursed expenses for volunteer work from a qualified charitable organization, you can deduct the cost of gas and oil, or mileage for 14¢ per mile.
Other Taxes
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Cars, RV's, and Boats
A personal property tax is a tax based on the value of your personal property such as cars, R.V.s, and boats. For personal property taxes to be deductible, the following requirements must be satisfied:
The tax is charged on personal property.
The tax is only based on the value of the personal property.
The tax is charged on a yearly basis regardless of when the tax is collected.
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For individuals using their car for personal purposes, the tax-deductibility of registration fees depends on whether a portion of the fee is based on the car's value.
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You'll usually only take this sales tax deduction if you live in a state that doesn't have state income tax, but it's available to everyone.