Tax Documents Checklist: How to Win Big This Tax Season

These days, filing your taxes is easier than ever, especially since you can meet with a TurboTax Live tax expert — but there are still documents to gather for tax prep.

Luckily, our tax documents checklist is here to help. To learn what you need to have on hand, take our quiz, fill in your unique information and get your personalized results. 

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Filing Taxes: Personal Information and Dependents

First things first, as the tax preparer, you need to gather your and your dependents’ personal information. To make this beginning step of the tax preparation process simple for the following years, keep any necessary documents in a permanent home in either your home desk or filing cabinet. As you receive tax forms at the beginning of the year, you can stick them in this folder for easy access as you get ready to file. 

Here are the personal documents you may need to file your tax return:

• Identification: For you and your dependents, you’ll need a social security number or tax ID number and a government-issued ID. 
• Bank Information: If you choose to receive your refund by direct deposit, you’ll need to provide your routing and account numbers. 
• Other records: If you file for childcare expenses, you must complete Form 2441 and include it when you file your federal income tax return. For adult family members that you’re filing for, you’ll need to provide their W-2 tax form, if necessary. If you’re not the noncustodial parent of a child that you’re claiming, you must fill out Form 8332 showing that the child’s custodial parent is releasing their right to claim a child to you. 

Filing Taxes: Income and Expenses

It wouldn’t be tax season without taxable income documents, right? Here’s what you need to file your tax return and where to find that information:

Income Documents

Whether you’re employed, self-employed or unemployed, there’s a document that is necessary for you to file taxes. Here’s what to do with each type of form:

W-2 

You should receive this in the mail or via email from your employer. 

Forms 1099-NECS and 1099-Ks

If you did business for a company that paid you over $600, then you should receive a 1099-NEC from them in the mail or via email. If a company used a third-party payment network like PayPal or Venmo for your paycheck, then you can keep your eyes peeled for a 1099-K. 

Form 1099-G

Have you received unemployment income? A 1099-G form will reach you by email or mail. 

Other Income

If you have income from another source, you’ll also need records of those amounts. Here are a few examples:

• Receipts from a rental property or real estate income could be reported on 1099-MISC.
• Retirement income: Form 1099-R.
• Interest or investment dividends: Form 1099-INT, Form 1099-DIV, 1099-OID
• Distributions from a trust: Form 1041 and K-1.
• Royalties: Form 1099-MISC.
• Gambling winnings: Form W2-G.

Expenses and Receipts 

Want to take a little money off your tax bill? Some expenses and receipts may come in handy, so grab documents like these:

• Property information: Mortgage interest payments, typically reported on your Form 1098, property tax records and more.
• Medical expenses: Health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical expense receipts.
• Childcare expenses: Receipts of what you paid for childcare or pay stubs for childcare payments from a reimbursement account at work.
• Educational expenses: Documents showing amounts paid for tuition, fees and student activity expenses that are required to pay to enroll or attend the school often reported on a 1098-T

Filing Taxes: Deductions and Adjustments

Last up on our tax preparation checklist is everyone’s favorite part: deductions and adjustments. This is where you get to reduce your income and, in turn, lower the taxes you pay. Let’s take a look at the documents you’ll need to file itemized deductions:

Owned a Home

If you marked that you owned a home last year, then you’ll need the following documents:

• Mortgage interest and refinancing: To find this information, you can look at your 1098 from your lender or mortgage service.
• Property tax bill: This bill may have been sent to you by mail from your local or county tax collector. This information is also often reported on your Form 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement. 
• Settlement statement: If you purchased a new home or refinanced it, you’ll be sent a HUD-1 by a creditor.
• Points paid: Points are certain charges paid to obtain a home mortgage. Points are also often called loan origination fees, maximum loan charges, loan discounts, or discount points. You’ll find this information on Form 1098 from your lender.
• Personal property tax: You’ll need this information if property taxes aren’t included on Form 1098.

Affected by Federally Declared Disaster

If you were affected by a federally declared disaster, you’ll need to provide this document:

• Casualty loss receipts: Deduct expenses from disasters using Form 4684. 

Owned a Vehicle

If you purchased a vehicle or signed a long-term lease, and you are filing for tax returns, get the following document ready:

• Vehicle sales tax: To figure out how much you’ve paid in sales tax on your vehicle, either save all the sales receipts and deduct the actual sales taxes paid throughout the year, or use the Internal Revenue Service’s sales tax tables to figure your tax deduction. 

Gave Charitable Donations

If you donated to a charity last year, then you’ll need the following information:

• Receipts for charitable donations: Regardless of the amount, keep a record of any contributions of cash, check, or other monetary gifts. This record could be a bank record or a written communication from the organization with its name, the amount, and the date of the contribution. For any contribution of $250 or more, you must have a written acknowledgment of the organization’s name, the amount of money contributed and a statement that no goods or services were provided in return for the contribution. Note that only donations to qualified organizations are eligible to receive a tax-deductible contribution.  

Visited a Medical Professional

If you had qualified unreimbursed medical care expenses, you may be able to deduct some of your expenses if: 

• Medical and dental expenses: You can deduct only the part of your medical and dental expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. 

Other Adjustments

If you had any items that could be checked off on the adjustments to income, you can expect to provide the following documents, depending on your needs:

• Form 1098-E student loan interest: If you made federal student loan payments in 2022 you may be eligible to deduct a port of the interest you paid. But it is likely that you did not have one for 2022 as there has been an extended pause on student loan repayment and interest by the U.S. Department of Education.  Form 1098-E  includes how much interest was paid for student loans.
• IRA contributions reported on Form 5498: You must report information on the minimum distributions, Roth IRA conversions, rollovers and the fair market value of the IRA account during the year. 
• Teacher expenses: If you are an eligible educator, you can deduct qualified expenses of up to $300. If you and your spouse are both eligible educators and married filing jointly you can deduct up to $600.
• HSA, MSA contributions on Form 5498-SA: Reports how much money you contributed to either a HSA or MSA over the course of the tax year.
• Moving expenses: This option is only available for active duty military members.
• Alimony: This adjustment is only valid for divorce or separation agreements before January 1, 2019.

Filing Taxes: Other Deductions and Credit

Let’s dive deeper into what information is needed to handle this small but mighty group of deduction options:

• Non-business bad debt: List the name of the debtor, the efforts you made to collect the debt and why you decided the debt was worthless. 
• Receipts for home energy-efficient equipment: Have documentation of the qualified costs used to make your home more eco-friendly. 
• Electric vehicle purchase: Have information handy about the type of qualified vehicle that you purchased and how much you paid.
• Health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace: You should receive Form 1095-A in the mail or online. Include the premiums you paid, the premium tax credits used and a figure called the second-lowest-cost silver plan.

Don’t worry about knowing these tax rules. Meet with a TurboTax Full Service expert who can prepare, sign and file your taxes, so you can be 100% confident your taxes are done right. Start TurboTax Live Full Service today, in English or Spanish, and get your taxes done and off your mind.

33 responses to “Tax Documents Checklist: How to Win Big This Tax Season”

1. 

   Thanks!

   Reply
2. 

   very cool~

   Reply
3. 

   My daughter just passed, I’m sure I can claim her bc she lived with me and I supported her. She was pregnant and now I have custody? Can I claim my daughter who just passed?

   Reply
   • 

     Hi Jessica,
     First, sorry for your loss and know that TurboTax is here to help you navigate through your tax situation. Yes, you can claim a dependent who died during the year if you would have been entitled to claim their exemption if they would have survived through the end of the year. Hope this helps clarify things.
     Sincerely,
     Katharina Reekmans

     Reply
4. 

   ;Thanks for the fast start on 2022 federa;l and state taxes.. a continuation of many successful lyears of filing blly Turbo lTax

   Reply
5. 

   very helpful, thanks!

   Reply
6. 

   Thank you………..excellent reminders and checklist.

   Reply
7. 

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   I will always be a Turbo Tax Customer.

   I didn’t get the survey to let you know how friendly and understanding my Tax Specialist was.
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   David Durbin

   Reply
8. 

   I love turbo tax! I’ve used you for yrs. You make filing so easy! Thank you.
   Kathleen

   Reply
9. 

   I am retired and provide 100% of my disabled daughter’s expenses. Due to this, I didnt’ have enough deductions and had to take the standard deductions. I will be filing in this manner this year

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10. 

    I’m hoping my download from Schwab works better this year so I don’t again have to enter most of my investment data manually.

    Reply
11. 

    I really appreciate TurboTax thank you for all the tax documents needed to file for 2022 income taxes so thank you for all the selected documents that I would need to prepare my taxes with TurboTax this tax seasons thank you and have a wonderful blessed Thanksgiving

    Reply
12. 

    This is great! Thank you.

    Reply
13. 

    Great service. Will use this year

    Reply
14. 

    Not relevant for me – I am Canadian living in Quebec

    Reply
15. 

    Thanks TurboTax for your continued support of my tax filing. I trust you guys 💕😗💕

    Reply
16. 

    I normally do my own thru TurboTax

    Reply
17. 

    great!

    Reply
18. 

    Good information, can we print the list

    Reply
19. 

    Thanks for this. I”m ready!

    Reply
20. 

    This is very helpful! I love the fact that it’s interactive.

    Reply
21. 

    I will be using your services again this year,

    Reply
22. 

    I will use TT again this year

    Reply
23. 

    Thank you I will be ready.

    Reply
24. 

    Will get all docs together in January

    Reply
25. 

    Thanks for keeping us on our toes. I look forward to working with you again this year.

    Reply
26. 

    Muy bien ya mismo enpesare con larecopilacion de mis documentos gracias por su ayuda torbotax

    Reply
27. 

    thank you

    Reply
28. 

    Thank you

    Reply
29. 

    Thanks!

    Reply
30. 

    Thanks!

    Reply
31. 

    I opened a new LLC Business

    Reply
32. 

    thank you for the planning guide

    Reply