You need your income forms (W-2s, 1099s), records of any deductions or credits you plan to claim, and a few personal documents like last year’s tax return and Social Security numbers for everyone on the return. The specific mix depends on your situation, but most people can gather everything they need in an afternoon once they know what to look for.
Personal and Filing Basics
Before you touch any income forms, pull together the basics that every return requires. You’ll need Social Security numbers (or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers) for yourself, your spouse if filing jointly, and any dependents. Have a government-issued photo ID handy if you’re filing in person or verifying your identity online. Keep a copy of last year’s tax return nearby, too. It helps you remember deductions you’ve taken before, gives you your prior-year adjusted gross income (which some e-filing systems require for identity verification), and serves as a useful checklist so you don’t overlook anything.
If you’re expecting a refund via direct deposit, you’ll also need your bank’s routing number and your account number.
Income Documents From Employers
If you worked as a traditional employee at any point during the year, each employer should send you a Form W-2 showing your total wages, the federal and state taxes withheld, and your contributions to retirement plans or health insurance. Employers are required to mail or make these available by January 31. If you changed jobs during the year, make sure you have a W-2 from every employer, including short stints.
A corrected W-2 (marked W-2c) may arrive later if your employer discovers an error. If that happens, use the corrected version when you file, or amend your return if you’ve already filed.
1099 Forms for Other Income
A whole family of 1099 forms covers income beyond a regular paycheck. You may not receive all of these, but here are the ones that apply most often:
- 1099-NEC: Reports payments of $600 or more for freelance, contract, or gig work. If you drove for a rideshare app, did consulting, or performed any independent work, expect one from each client or platform that paid you at least that amount.
- 1099-K: Reports payments processed through third-party platforms like payment apps or online marketplaces. The reporting threshold has been changing in recent years, so check the current rules to see whether your transactions triggered one.
- 1099-MISC: Covers miscellaneous income such as rent payments, prizes, awards, or other payments that don’t fit neatly into other 1099 categories.
- 1099-G: Reports government payments, most commonly unemployment benefits or state tax refunds. If you collected unemployment at any point, this is the form that tells you (and the IRS) how much you received.
- 1099-INT and 1099-DIV: Report interest earned from bank accounts and dividends from investments, respectively. Your bank or brokerage sends these if you earned more than $10 in interest or received dividends during the year.
- 1099-R: Reports distributions from retirement accounts like a 401(k), IRA, or pension. If you withdrew money, rolled over an account, or started receiving pension payments, you’ll get one.
Important: even if you don’t receive a 1099 for some income, you’re still required to report it. Freelancers who earned less than $600 from a single client won’t get a 1099-NEC from that client, but the income is still taxable. Pull your own records of direct deposits, platform payments, and cash income to fill any gaps.
Investment and Brokerage Records
If you sold stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, or other assets during the year, your brokerage or exchange should send you a Form 1099-B. This form lists each transaction, including what you sold, when you sold it, and the proceeds. You’ll use it to calculate capital gains or losses. Brokerages often bundle the 1099-B into a consolidated tax statement that also includes your 1099-INT and 1099-DIV, so look for one combined document rather than several separate ones.
For cryptocurrency specifically, some exchanges issue a 1099-B while others provide only a transaction history you’ll need to organize yourself. Either way, keep records of your original purchase price (your “cost basis”) for each asset, because that determines how much of the sale is actually a gain. If you traded frequently, consider downloading your full transaction history from the exchange rather than trying to reconstruct it manually.
Documents for Deductions
If you plan to itemize deductions instead of taking the standard deduction, you’ll need documentation for every expense you claim. The IRS is clear: taxpayers need documents to back up the expenses or losses they want to deduct. Here’s what to gather based on common deductions:
- Mortgage interest: Your lender sends Form 1098 showing the interest you paid during the year, plus any points paid and property taxes collected through escrow.
- State and local taxes: Records of state income taxes paid (often on your last pay stub or state return) or state sales taxes, plus real property tax bills. The combined deduction for state and local taxes is capped at $10,000 for most filers.
- Charitable contributions: Written receipts or acknowledgment letters from the organization for any cash donations. For noncash donations over $250, you need a written acknowledgment describing what you gave. Bank or credit card statements work as backup for smaller cash gifts.
- Medical and dental expenses: Receipts, insurance statements (Explanation of Benefits), and records of out-of-pocket costs. You can only deduct the amount that exceeds 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, so total everything up before deciding whether it’s worth itemizing.
Even if you take the standard deduction, a few deductions still apply “above the line,” meaning you can claim them regardless. The most common is student loan interest. Your loan servicer sends Form 1098-E if you paid at least $600 in interest, but you can claim the deduction even for smaller amounts using your own payment records.
Self-Employment Records
If you’re self-employed or did any freelance work, you need more than just your 1099 forms. You’ll also report your business expenses on Schedule C, and the IRS expects you to have receipts or records to support them.
Gather receipts for work-related purchases like supplies, software, and equipment. Review your bank and credit card statements to catch expenses you might have forgotten. If you used your car for business, you’ll need a mileage log or record of business miles driven during the year. The IRS standard mileage rate changes annually, and you’ll multiply your business miles by that rate for your deduction.
If you work from home and have a dedicated workspace, measure the square footage of that space and know the total square footage of your home. This lets you calculate the home office deduction, either using the simplified method (a flat rate per square foot, up to 300 square feet) or the regular method based on actual expenses like rent, utilities, and insurance allocated to the office portion of your home.
Healthcare Forms
If you bought health insurance through the marketplace (Healthcare.gov or your state’s exchange), you’ll receive Form 1095-A. This form is essential for reconciling the premium tax credit on your return. If you received advance premium tax credits during the year and don’t file with this form, you could owe money back or miss out on a larger credit.
If you have a Health Savings Account, you’ll get Form 1099-SA showing any distributions made during the year, whether paid directly to a medical provider or to you. You’ll also receive Form 5498-SA reporting your contributions. Use these along with Form 8889 when you file to report both contributions and withdrawals and confirm the distributions went toward qualified medical expenses.
Education-Related Documents
If you or a dependent attended college or another eligible institution, the school should send Form 1098-T showing tuition payments billed or received. This form helps you claim education credits like the American Opportunity Credit (worth up to $2,500 per eligible student) or the Lifetime Learning Credit. Keep your own records of amounts actually paid, including books and required supplies, since the 1098-T sometimes reflects billed amounts rather than what you paid out of pocket.
If you received scholarships or grants, those may also appear on the 1098-T. Scholarships used for tuition are generally tax-free, but amounts used for room and board are taxable income.
How to Stay Organized
Most tax forms arrive between late January and mid-February, though brokerage statements (1099-B and consolidated forms) sometimes don’t show up until mid-March. Resist the urge to file the moment your W-2 arrives if you’re still waiting on other forms. Filing with incomplete information often leads to amended returns later.
Create a simple folder, physical or digital, and drop documents in as they arrive. Match each form against your own records: does the W-2 match your final pay stub? Does the 1099-NEC match the payments you tracked from that client? Catching discrepancies now saves you from IRS notices months later. If a form doesn’t arrive by mid-February (or mid-March for brokerage statements), contact the issuer. You can also check your IRS online account, where many forms are available in transcript form once they’ve been filed with the agency.