--- title: "Tax Documents Checklist for the 2027 Filing Season | MCC" description: "Which forms arrive for 2026 returns and when: new W-2 codes, Form 1098-VLI, basis on Form 1099-DA, the $2,000 1099-NEC level, and the records only you keep." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/guides/tax-documents-checklist-for-the-2027-filing-season" --- How-to guide · Getting ready to file # Tax documents checklist for the 2027 filing season (2026 returns) Several forms look different for 2026 returns, and a few new deductions depend on records nobody mails you. Build your list in November or December, then check items off as they arrive. Want this handled for you? Monthly bookkeeping, cleanup and year-end close for small businesses. Start with a free health check of your books. 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[See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **Short answer.** Expect your 2026 Form W-2 by February 1, 2027, with new box 12 codes TT (overtime) and TP (tips) and box 14b. Most 1099s and 1098s are due to you by January 31, which falls on a Sunday in 2027. Broker forms, including Form 1099-B and Form 1099-DA, are due February 15, and Forms 5498 and 5498-SA for contributions by May 31. New for 2026: lenders' vehicle loan interest statements (draft Form 1098-VLI), basis on more Forms 1099-DA, and fewer Forms 1099-NEC under $2,000. ## The steps at a glance - Start from last year's return. - Add the forms that are new or changed for 2026. - Write the due date next to each form. - List the records only you keep. - Check each form off and compare it with your records. - Chase anything missing. ## Step 1: start from last year's return List every employer, bank, broker, lender and payer that sent you a form for 2025. Most will send one again. Cross off any account you closed, and add any you opened in 2026. ## Step 2: add what's new for 2026 - **Form W-2:** box 12 code TT (qualified overtime), code TP (cash tips reported to the employer) and box 14b (the tipped occupation code). See the guide on [codes TT and TP](/bookkeeping/guides/w-2-box-12-codes-tt-and-tp-explained). - **Car loan interest:** lenders that received $600 or more of interest on a qualifying vehicle loan must report it. The IRS has a draft Form 1098-VLI, Vehicle Loan Interest Statement. - **Form 1099-DA:** brokers began reporting basis for certain digital asset sales in 2026, generally for assets acquired after 2025 in the same account. - **Form 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC:** clients generally don't have to send one for 2026 payments under $2,000, so expect fewer. - **Form 1099-K:** payment apps and marketplaces file one when payments are over $20,000 and there were more than 200 transactions. ## Step 3: put due dates next to each form | Form | Who sends it | Due to you | | --- | --- | --- | | W-2 | Employer | February 1, 2027 | | 1099-NEC, 1099-K, 1099-R, 1099-SA, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV | Payers, platforms, plan and account custodians, banks | January 31 (a Sunday in 2027) | | 1098, 1098-E, 1098-T | Mortgage lender, student loan servicer, school | January 31 | | 1099-B, 1099-DA | Brokers | February 15 | | 5498 (contributions), 5498-SA | IRA trustee, HSA custodian | May 31, after the usual filing date | Dates from the IRS guide to information returns, Publication 1099 and the 2026 W-2 instructions. Because Forms 5498 and 5498-SA can arrive after you file, keep your own record of IRA and HSA contributions. ## Step 4: list the records only you keep - **Tips:** your daily tip log and monthly reports to your employer. - **Overtime:** pay stubs, and a weekly log of the overtime premium. - **Car loan interest:** the VIN, the window sticker or decoder result, and the loan contract. - **Digital assets:** full transaction histories from every exchange and wallet, including transfers. - **Payment apps:** transaction histories, with personal payments marked. - **Seniors:** proof of age and Social Security numbers for the senior deduction, which requires age 65 by the end of the year. - **Itemizing:** property tax bills or escrow statements, charity acknowledgments, medical receipts. - **Inherited IRAs:** the December 31 balance and your withdrawal record. - **New Jersey:** property tax bills or rent receipts for the NJ property tax deduction or credit, and any letters about ANCHOR, Senior Freeze or Stay NJ. ## Step 5: check off and compare As each form arrives, check it against your own record: the W-2 codes against your logs, the 1099-DA against your exchange history, the 1098-VLI against your loan statements. A form that looks wrong should go back to the sender for a correction before you file. ## Step 6: chase what's missing If a form hasn't arrived a week or so after its due date, contact the sender. A missing form doesn't change what you report: income is reportable whether or not a form arrives. Worked example, made-up numbers **One household's list** A married couple: one spouse is a server, the other an hourly maintenance worker who gets overtime. They bought a new car in 2026, sold some crypto, took a withdrawal from an inherited IRA and have an HSA. | Expected | From | By | Check against | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | W-2 with code TP and box 14b | Restaurant | Feb 1, 2027 | Tip log | | W-2 with code TT | Property management company | Feb 1, 2027 | Weekly overtime log | | Vehicle loan interest statement | Auto lender | Ask the lender | Loan payment history, VIN | | 1099-DA | Exchange | Feb 15 | Exchange history | | 1099-R | Inherited IRA custodian | Jan 31 | Withdrawal record | | 1099-SA | HSA custodian | Jan 31 | Receipts log | | 1098 | Mortgage lender | Jan 31 | Escrow statement | | 5498-SA | HSA custodian | May 31 | Own contribution record | Eight forms, three of which (the tips, overtime and car loan entries) are new for this household this year. ## Official sources - [IRS: General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026)](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw2w3) - [IRS: A guide to information returns (updated Aug. 13, 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/a-guide-to-information-returns) - [IRS Publication 1099 (2026), General Instructions for Certain Information Returns](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p1099) - [IRS: Form 1098-VLI, Vehicle Loan Interest Statement (draft, December 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f1098vli--dft.pdf) - [IRS: Instructions for Form 1099-DA (2026)](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1099da) - [IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. 12/2026)](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1099mec) - [IRS: Form 1099-K FAQs, what to do if you receive a Form 1099-K (updated June 27, 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/form-1099-k-faqs-what-to-do-if-you-receive-a-form-1099-k) - [IRS: Working Families Tax Cuts provisions for individuals and workers (updated Aug. 27, 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions-individuals-and-workers) Checked November 2026 on irs.gov and nj.gov. ## Common questions **When should my 2026 W-2 arrive?** Employers must furnish it by February 1, 2027, according to the 2026 W-2 instructions. **When are crypto broker forms due?** Publication 1099 sets February 15 for statements on Forms 1099-B and 1099-DA. **Why haven't I received a 1099-NEC from a client I worked for?** For 2026 payments, clients generally don't have to send one unless they paid you $2,000 or more. The income is still reportable. **What is Form 1098-VLI?** A new IRS form, Vehicle Loan Interest Statement, released in draft. Lenders that receive $600 or more of interest on a qualifying vehicle loan report it. **Do I need Form 5498-SA before I file?** It's due to you by May 31, which is after the usual filing date, so keep your own record of HSA contributions to file with. **What if a form never arrives?** Contact the sender. Income is reportable whether or not a form arrives. Related guides: [W-2 codes TT and TP](/bookkeeping/guides/w-2-box-12-codes-tt-and-tp-explained) · [Check a car for the car loan interest deduction](/bookkeeping/guides/check-a-new-car-for-the-car-loan-interest-deduction) · [Match a Form 1099-DA to your crypto records](/bookkeeping/guides/match-your-first-form-1099-da-to-your-crypto-records) Reach small business owners, freelancers and bookkeepers who read this guide: [advertise here](/advertise#bookkeeping). Everything for your preparer in one place ## Tax Document Organizer An income documents checklist with who sends each form, a deductions and credits records list, a ten-folder system for paper or the cloud, twenty yes-or-no questions about what changed this year, and key dates for 2027. [See the Tax Document Organizer ($19)](/toolkits/tax-document-organizer) [Free sample](/toolkits/tax-document-organizer#free-starter)14-day full refund[Business owners: year-end close and 1099 kit ($29)](/toolkits/year-end-close-and-1099-kit) [Free sample](/toolkits/year-end-close-and-1099-kit#free-starter)14-day full refund **Not tax advice.** This guide explains published rules and how to organize your own records. It does not tell you what you qualify for or what to file: your forms, the official instructions and your tax preparer decide that. MCC Solutions is not a CPA firm and is not affiliated with the IRS or the State of New Jersey. Examples use made-up numbers. Checked November 2026. 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