Tax preparation
What to gather for your tax return.
Collect these before your appointment and your return gets done in one pass instead of three. Not everything applies to everyone; skip what doesn't fit you.
Everyone on the return
- Photo ID for you (and your spouse)
- Social Security card or ITIN letter for each person, including children
- Last year's federal and state returns
- Bank routing and account number for a direct-deposit refund
Income
- W-2s from every job
- 1099-NEC, 1099-K and 1099-MISC for freelance, app or contract work
- 1099-INT and 1099-DIV for interest and dividends
- 1099-B for stock or crypto sales
- 1099-R for retirement distributions and SSA-1099 for Social Security
- 1099-G for unemployment or a state refund
- Records of any other income: tips, rentals, gambling winnings (W-2G)
Deductions and credits
- 1098 mortgage interest statement
- New Jersey property tax bills, or rent paid if you rent
- 1098-T tuition and 1098-E student loan interest
- Childcare provider's name, address and tax ID, and what you paid
- Charitable donation receipts
- 1095-A if you had Marketplace health insurance (required)
- HSA forms 5498-SA and 1099-SA
Self-employed or rental
- Income totals by month or from your books
- Expense receipts or your bookkeeping report
- Business mileage log
- Home office square footage and total home square footage
- Quarterly estimated tax payments you made, with dates
- Rental income, expenses and the property's purchase details
Missing something? Send what you have; we'll tell you exactly what's left. Ready to book? Reserve your spot.
More on tax preparation
Questions
Do I need my Social Security card?
We need each person's Social Security number or ITIN exactly as the IRS has it. Bring the card or the ITIN letter for everyone on the return.
I lost a W-2 or 1099. What now?
Ask the employer or payer for a copy. If that fails, we can request your wage and income transcript from the IRS, which lists what was reported under your number.
Do I need last year's return?
It helps a lot: carryovers, prior-year amounts and the right setup all come from it. If you don't have it, we can get an IRS transcript.
General information, not advice for your situation. We're not CPAs or attorneys.