You will not need every item below. Use the checklist as a guide, include records from every applicable payer or account, and wait for corrected forms if you know one is coming.
Personal and filing information
- Government-issued photo identification
- Social Security or ITIN information and dates of birth for you, your spouse, and dependents
- Prior-year return, if not already provided
- Current address, phone number, and occupation
- Bank routing and account information for refund or payment
- Identity Protection PINs issued for the current filing year
- Dates and details for marriage, divorce, birth, death, or dependent changes
- Form 8332 if a custodial parent released the right to claim a child, when applicable
Income received from every source
- Forms W-2 from all employers
- Forms 1099 for interest, dividends, retirement, unemployment, contract work, payment-app activity, and other payments—including Form 1099-K
- Forms K-1 from partnerships, S corporations, estates, or trusts
- Social Security and pension statements
- Traditional IRA after-tax basis records, if applicable
- Alimony information where applicable under the governing agreement
- Foreign income and foreign-account information
- Gambling, prizes, royalties, jury duty, hobby activity, state refunds, and other income—even when no tax form was issued
Investments and digital assets
- Consolidated brokerage statements and corrected statements
- Cost-basis information not shown on the statement
- Records of stock compensation or employee stock-plan transactions
- Digital-asset sales, exchanges, transfers, income, rewards, and transaction history
- Capital-loss carryforward information, if not reflected on the prior return
Homes, rentals, and other property
- Forms 1098 for mortgage interest
- Property-tax records
- Closing disclosures for property purchased, sold, or refinanced
- Records of capital improvements and selling costs
- Rental income, expenses, occupancy, and asset-purchase details
- Energy-efficiency documentation where potentially relevant
Expenses and payments that may affect your return
- Cash and noncash charitable contribution records, written acknowledgments, and charitable mileage
- Childcare provider name, address, tax ID, and amounts paid
- Forms 1098-T and 1099-Q plus tuition and scholarship records
- Student-loan interest statements
- Health Insurance Marketplace Form 1095-A
- Health Savings Account Forms 1099-SA and 5498-SA
- Eligible medical-expense records if significant
- IRA contribution information
- Federal and state estimated-tax payment confirmations
- Prior-year state or local tax payments made during the year
- Educator, adoption, or other specialized expense records, if applicable
- Notices or correspondence received from a taxing authority
Records for independent work or a small business
- Year-end profit-and-loss statement or complete income summary
- Business bank and credit-card records
- Forms 1099 received—and income not reported on a form
- Expense totals with supporting receipts and documentation
- Inventory records, if applicable
- Asset purchases, dispositions, loans, and financing documents
- Business mileage log and vehicle information
- Home-office measurements and related eligible expenses
- Payroll reports and Forms W-2/W-3 and 941, if applicable
- Contractor payment records and Forms 1099 issued
- Estimated-tax payments and extension payments
- Formation, ownership, or business-address changes
Before you submit your file
Check that names and taxpayer identification numbers are correct, confirm you have records from every employer, bank, platform, state, and brokerage, and tell us if a form appears incorrect or is still expected. Organized records help support a complete and accurate return.
Ready to prepare early?
Current clients should follow the secure document-delivery instructions provided directly by Akwaaba Tax Services. If something significant changed, request a check-in before submitting your records.
Akwaaba.
Akwaaba Tax Services provides thoughtful tax preparation, planning, notice support, and practical financial education for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations. “Akwaaba” means “welcome” in Akan—and reflects the openness, clarity, and care we bring to every engagement.
Please protect your information. Do not send Social Security numbers, tax documents, or other sensitive records through regular email. This checklist is general and may not include every item required for your circumstances. For additional filing preparation guidance, visit the IRS filing-readiness resource.