Before you prepare your taxes, gather all the documents you need to prepare a complete tax return.

Income documents

• W-2s
• 1099s
• Proof of jury duty pay
• Proof of alimony you received
• Social Security statement (1099-SSA)
• Dividend and interest statements (1099-DIV and 1099-INT)
• Retirement distributions (1099-R)
• Brokerage statements (1099-B), along with statements showing when you bought and sold your investments
• K-1 statements reporting profits from partnerships, trusts, and small businesses,
• Record of income and expenses for your rental property
• Record of income and expenses for your self-employment

Other tax documents

• HUD-1 Escrow statement for property you bought or sold,
• Summary of moving expenses,
• Summary of educational expenses (college tuition),
• Summary of your child care, day care, or adult day care expenses,
• IRA contributions (traditional, SEP, or rollovers)
• Student loan interest paid (1098-E)

Tax deduction documents

• Health care expenses (doctors, dentists, health insurance, eyecare, medicine)
• Real estate taxes
• Motor vehicle registration
• Mortgage interest paid (1098)
• Gifts to charity
• Last year’s tax preparation fees
• Job-related expenses (union dues, job education, uniforms)
• Loss of property due to casualty or theft
• Gambling losses