Preparing taxes may seem complicated and intimidating, but it isn’t. At least not when you know how to prepare taxes on your own or rely on professionals to do so. But you might have wondered: “What documents do I need to file my taxes?”
Even if you have never paid or prepared your taxes before, when it comes to the documents you need to bring, it’s probably safe to assume that the list is quite extensive. So, really, what do you need for a tax appointment, and is there a way to arrange them so that you can look organized? There sure is, and here’s exactly what you need for a tax appointment.
Personal Information You Will Need
If you’re wondering what to bring to a tax appointment, you’ve come to the right place. It can be confusing when arranging documents in files, so we have created a list of documents needed for taxes for each group.
– Your ID and driver’s license, as well as every other personal document
Make sure that there’s an order to how these documents and IDs are arranged. For example, file the driver’s license papers together, topped with the driver’s license itself, etc.
– Social security or ID number of everyone on your tax return
This includes your family, relatives, and anyone living in the house that you own and for which you pay taxes.
Information Regarding Income and Investment
Before you can start checking items off your tax preparation checklist, your tax accountant will need all the information regarding your income. Provided that you have already presented your personal ID and that of your family, it’s time for the wager, income, and investments.
-You’ll need a W-2 standard wage and tax statement document
Your employer provides this at the start of each year ( before February). If you didn’t get one from your company, you can request it at any time.
-Financial statement from your bank
This includes your entire financial report for the year, as well as your expenses, such as student loan rates, credit card fees, and other relevant costs. Nowadays, everything is performed online or otherwise through wire transfers. That’s why it’s best to get a full financial report from your bank when you need to list your expenses, payments, etc.
–The 1099 forms
These include a variety of similar documents for justifying different financial situations. If you’re self-employed and receive more than $600 from your employer, you’ll need a 1099-MISC, 1099-DIV (if you have dividend income), 1099-G (if you received funds from the state in the past), and so on.
-Tax refund from last year
Everything that was deducted from last year’s refund should also be included in this year’s report. This is only for filing purposes and doesn’t contribute to lowering the actual tax rates.
Records of Private Businesses
If you’re self-employed or have a partnership with another party forming a private business, you’ll need to list earnings and expenses from those revenues as well. A comprehensive financial report should include your client’s payments, payments made to other parties, transactions tied to the procurement of required resources and materials, and other relevant details.
-Expenses of your business
This can include anything from receipts to checks written in your or your company’s name, credit card statements, and other relevant documents.
-Mileage expenses
If you’re using a company-provided car to deduct the cost of gas, you’ll need a detailed report of your route to support your claim. This means mileage, time, and destination. The details vary from one company to another.
-Home office expenses
If you have settled on the work-from-home variant, you’d need to list the size of your workstation in square feet, as well as expenses incurred within your working hours, including mortgage and rent.
Medical Expenses
-Unrefunded medical expenses
This includes receipts from surgeries, treatments, or any medical procedures that you paid for from your own pocket. These are the expenses that you didn’t get reimbursed for by your company for whatever reason.
-Health insurance expenses
Everything covered by your health insurance should be listed and accompanied by a receipt. This includes every procedure, treatment, surgery, and other related services. Every time you require medical assistance and don’t pay but get covered by health insurance, you will get a receipt.
-Benefits from social security
Any amount that you’ve received as a benefit from your Social Security should come through an SSA-1099 form. This typically occurs at the beginning of each year and provides a comprehensive report of the benefits gained from Social Security.
Donations Made for Charity Purposes
-Charity donations
Any amount you’ve donated that is to be deducted from your tax return should be accompanied by a receipt. This includes the actual amount of time, as well as other payment details regarding any payment directed to the organization. If you have several donations to the same organization, you should present every receipt separately.
-Mileage expenses
This includes miles driven for the purpose of fulfilling charitable deeds. A tax deduction isn’t possible without a complete mileage report.
-Emergencies and Disasters
The Congress has issued relief to taxpayers for damage done by disasters in certain areas. As stated, federally declared disaster law applies only to affected states, areas, and cities. In 2017, it was applicable to victims of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and the California wildfires.
Therefore, all those who suffered a loss in Texas, Louisiana, and other affected areas could receive tax relief due to the damage done to their property. Each year, Congress issues tax relief of this sort for new areas affected by disasters. However, before you can obtain reimbursement or relief to justify lower tax rates, you’ll need the following documents.
-City/County in which you live and have property
Any document that proves you’re a citizen of that country/state and another of your properties.
-Any appraisal records about the damage
This can include any data that shows the time required for cleaning, cleanup, and utility costs, among other expenses.
-Reimbursements from insurance
If you had insurance on the damaged property and already got the money from it, all you’ll need is a receipt. If you didn’t have a chance to get reimbursement, you’d need an insurance contract or any documents that prove you’ve made an arrangement with the insurance company about a specific property.
A Considerable Tax Relief
You can write off a considerable amount of your tax rates by compiling a list of things that justify reimbursement and other forms of relief. Depending on the state you’re in and the property you lost, you can get reimbursements from your insurance company or directly from the government. That’s why it’s always advisable to get good tax form management services.
It can save you a significant amount of money if you know which documents to bring and how to file them correctly. Therefore, it’s highly advisable to seek advice from a professional rather than researching on your own.
Last updated: September 2025