What to Organize Before Filing Your Income Tax Return

1. Begin with last year’s return and major changes

Keep prior-year federal, state, and local returns available as a reference for carryovers and information that may still apply.

• Marriage, divorce, or a new dependent
• A move or work performed in another state
• Starting, buying, or closing a business
• A home purchase or sale
• New investments, retirement activity, or digital assets
• A significant change in income

2. Confirm personal and dependent information

Gather legal names, dates of birth, Social Security or taxpayer identification numbers, current addresses, and any identity-protection PINs. Confirm dependent eligibility and custody arrangements before filing.

3. Collect all income documents

Review online accounts as well as mailed documents and compare the forms received with the year’s actual activity.

• Forms W-2 and 1099
• Interest, dividend, brokerage, and retirement statements
• Business, rental, partnership, or S corporation information
• Unemployment or Social Security benefits
• Property or investment sale records
• Estimated-tax payment confirmations

4. Organize deductions and credits

Relevant records may include charitable contributions, mortgage interest and property taxes, education and childcare costs, medical expenses, retirement contributions, and energy-related improvements. Keep receipts, acknowledgements, and proof of payment.

5. Prepare business and self-employment records

Organize income and expenses by category, reconcile business accounts, and gather payroll reports, asset purchases and sales, mileage records, loan activity, estimated-tax payments, and home-office information when applicable.

6. Identify multi-state and local activity

A move, remote work, rental property, business activity, or income earned in another state can affect filing requirements. Prepare a timeline showing where you lived and worked, plus payment and withholding records for each jurisdiction.

7. Review before filing

Confirm names, identification numbers, addresses, bank information, income, withholding, estimated payments, and filing status. Ask questions about anything you do not understand before authorizing the return.