Resources

Short resources about documents, income types, and common tax situations. This is general information, not individual advice.

What documents are needed for a tax return

Careful preparation requires more than income forms. Credits, dependents, mileage, business expenses, foreign income, and foreign accounts may require supporting documents.

W-2, 1099, and Schedule C: what is the difference?

These forms may look similar to a client, but they represent different types of income and require different tax treatment.

Foreign income outside the U.S.

If you had income outside the United States during the year, it is better to discuss it before filing, even if the money was not transferred to the U.S.

Foreign tax credit and Form 1116

If the same foreign-source income is taxed abroad and also included in a U.S. return, the foreign tax credit may reduce double taxation.

FBAR / FinCEN: foreign accounts

If you have bank, investment, or other financial accounts outside the United States, it is better to discuss them before filing.

Children, dependents, and tax credits: documents that may be needed

If children, dependents, or credits are claimed, the facts of the year and supporting records should be reviewed before filing.

Mileage log and business use of a car

If a vehicle is used for work or business, records should be kept during the year. Rough mileage and expense estimates are often not enough.

What to do if you receive an IRS letter

An IRS letter does not always mean something is wrong, but it should not be ignored. First, identify what is being requested and what deadline applies.

Form 1095-A and Marketplace health insurance

If you had health insurance through the Marketplace during the year, Form 1095-A is important for reviewing the return. Form 8962 is used when the Premium Tax Credit must be calculated or advance credit payments must be reconciled.

Estimated tax payments during the year

If income is not subject to withholding, such as 1099 / self-employed income, rent, interest, or dividends, estimated tax payments may need to be discussed.

Tax filing extension: Form 4868

Form 4868 can provide additional time to file an individual federal tax return, but it does not extend the time to pay tax.

Prior-year returns and amended returns

Sometimes a prior-year return needs to be filed, or a return that was already filed needs to be corrected. These are different situations and require different records.

Rental income and Schedule E: records to prepare

Rental real estate usually requires separate records for income, expenses, depreciation, and any personal use. Collecting them before tax preparation makes the review more reliable.

Investment income, 1099 forms, and capital gains

Interest, dividends, and investment sales can arrive on several tax forms. Keep those forms together with cost-basis and transaction records so the return can be reviewed consistently.

Selling a home: tax records that may matter

A home sale is not reviewed from the sale price alone. The return may depend on whether the property was your main home, how long you owned and used it, adjusted basis, and whether you received Form 1099-S.

Itemized deductions and Schedule A: records to prepare

Itemizing is not automatically better than taking the standard deduction. Schedule A is used when eligible itemized deductions are relevant, so the useful first step is to collect the records that allow both approaches to be compared.

Schedule K-1: what to provide with your tax return

Schedule K-1 can come from a partnership, S corporation, estate, or trust. The entity type matters because the boxes, codes, attached statements, and tax treatment are not identical.

Foreign gifts and Form 3520: records to prepare

A gift or bequest from a foreign person can create a U.S. information-reporting requirement even when the transfer is not handled like ordinary earned income. The donor type, aggregate amount, relationship between donors, and source of the transfer all matter.