What Tax Forms Do I Need to File My Tax Return?

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It can be hard to keep track of all your forms, but if you have a handy list on your fridge, you organize and save the documents as they come in.

If you’re ready to file your taxes, here are some major tax forms you want to have ready. They’ll make a huge difference and in some cases, they can help you get a bigger tax refund.

Important Tax Forms

W-2s

This is probably the most anticipated form during the tax season. Your employer should already sent this to you at the beginning of the year. This document is a record of your total income for the year as well as your federal state and local taxes paid so far. If you’ve have automatic deductions for your 401(k) at work, this amount will lower your taxable income.

1099s

My husband and I received quite of bit of these documents this year. We have a few high interest savings accounts and earned a little bit of money for stashing it away. Banks are required to send you a 1099-INT so you can file that with your taxes since it is a form of income.

I also do some freelance and contract work which means I get 1099s for the projects I’ve worked on this past year. It’s important for those self employed to keep thorough records throughout the year to make sure they catch everything that need come tax time. Here’s a checklist of what tax forms you need in order to file.

1098s

For those paying mortgage interest, you should have received a statement or letter from your lender that shows the total interest paid in the last year.

If you paid student loan interest, there’s a form just for you, the 1098-E.

Thoughts on Tax Forms

If you haven’t received any of the forms and you should, please call your employer, lender, whoever to get those important documents sent to you as soon as possible.

If you’re preparing to file your taxes, tax preparation software like TurboTax can be a huge help in helping you fill out the correct forms for your tax situation. By going through an interview process, you’ll be guided to the right forms and the program will populate the information in the correct.

It makes taxes less of a headache. You’ll have more time for things that matter to you. I’d like to hear your take on taxes. How are you filing your taxes this year?

36 responses to “What Tax Forms Do I Need to File My Tax Return?”

  1. Hi, Me and my fiancee were wondering how we need to file our taxes, we have two small children and are living on the same property with my parents, my dad filed my son last year on his taxes due to neither me or my fiancee were working. But since then we have got our own place and were wondering how we should file and whatdocumentede should need to use turbo tax this year. we have u see HNR block previous years. thanks

  2. Hi, my family are refugee, we came to US in August 2012,we got w-2 payments from government, and I have question: I have 4 children, can I and my wife apply for tax return??? I started work just in last year December 25 to now.

    • Hello Hafisa, and welcome to the US
      If you meet the IRS tests for residency in the US and have income, you can file a Form 1040 tax return using TurboTax. Resident aliens can use the same filing statuses as US citizens, and are generally entitled to the same exemptions and deductions. There are several ways you might meet the residency test; refer to IRS Publication 519. You will also need either an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) for yourself and each person in your family you can include on your tax return. There are many details, so refer to IRS Publication 519, Tax Guide for aliens at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf

      You can start with our free edition, but if you have any complex situations, you may be prompted to upgrade to a paid edition of TurboTax, either way, any needed state returns have an additional cost, and we’ll help you with prompts to complete your tax return.

      If you are a non-resident alien (meaning you are not a US citizen and do not meet the tests in IRS Pub 519, You need to use Form 1040-NR, which is not supported by TurboTax. However, you can use our CPA Select service, where an accredited and experienced professional will learn your situation, give you a cost estimate, and complete your Form 1040-NR for you. See https://turbotaxcpaselect.intuit.com/

      We wish you the best

  3. My children (ages 18 and 21) both work full time. If I let them file 1040EZ, will they still be allowed to be on my health insurance, or will they no longer be considered my dependents?

  4. can i use turbo tax to file i have one dependent and a home, but my deductions are not in the standard range ,they are about 40000..so what form do i use to file hoh, 1 dependent.

  5. My property taxes were paid on Feb. 1, 2013 and July 8 2013. My 1098 only reflects the July payment because we did a loan modifcation in Dec. 2012. Out mortgage company held the funds for our taxes but NOT in our escrow acct. Can I claim both payments since they were both paid in 2013?

    • The money for the feb. payment was NOT reflected on our 2012 1098 btw. This also happened to us in 2011. Can i file an amended tax return. I have my bills from the town stating they were paid.

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