It’s a New Year and with all the tax changes everyone is facing this year it’s a good idea to make sure you have everything you need before you visit your tax accountant. You can make your meeting with your tax accountant a seamless one by making sure you bring all the documents needed to prepare your tax return. Basically, you need to remember to bring identification, income documents (i.e. W-2 and 1099 forms), and all your expense documents.
The IRS and state tax agencies are cracking down on people; especially on those who claim the same dependent more than once, such as estranged parents both claiming the same child. Tax preparers increasingly will ask that you provide Social Security cards for yourself and for each dependent. So be sure to locate those in advance so you don’t forget to bring them with you to your appointment with your tax preparer. This helps eliminate electronic filing errors by making sure the name and Social Security Number match the IRS records for each person on the tax return.
You will also need to bring all documents that show all your income for the year; these types of documents include:
- W-2s from your employers,
- 1099-MISC forms for self-employment income,
- 1099-INT (interest) and 1099-DIV (dividends) forms,
- 1099-B forms showing brokerage trades in stocks and bonds,
- K-1 forms for income from a partnership, small business, or trust,
- 1099-SSA form showing Social Security received.
Be sure to bring written documents for any additional income that is not reported on a W-2 or 1099 form, such as any other self-employment income you made, any rental income you earned or alimony you received. This could be a bank statements or another piece of valid written evidence. What qualifies as valid evidence varies from state to state so if you’re not sure what qualifies as a valid document, be sure to contact your tax accountant prior to your meeting so you don’t have to schedule a 2nd meeting.
You will also need to remember to bring canceled checks, receipts, or spreadsheets for any of your tax-related expenses. This may include gifts to charities and churches, moving expenses, college expenses, medical and dental expenses, real estate taxes and daycare/childcare costs. Some expenses are reported to you. Mortgage interest, for example, is reported to you on form 1098, and student loan interest is reported on form 1098-E.
If you paid estimated taxes, bring a summary of your federal and state estimated payments and canceled checks.
If you don’t have all your documents, your tax accountant will be able to help you track down the missing information, but again it’s best to call ahead of time to make sure you have everything you need before walking into your tax accountant’s office. This is an especially good idea to put into motion considering all of the tax changes taking place in 2013.
For more information on what you need to bring with you and what you can do now to get yourself ready for your 2013 tax filing with your tax accountant, speak with a Beaton Accounting tax representative for professional advice! Call today for a FREE consultation: 631-921-6894.
Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or e-mail us at info@beatonaccounting.com.