Resources · Client education
It's hard to play the game if you don't know the rules. So let's learn them together.
Get informed and stay in the know. Checklists, IRS trackers, calculators and record-keeping rules, all in one place, so you can help yourself all year long.
The rules, in five parts · Jump to a topic
Tax appointment checklist
Show up ready. Leave with peace of mind.
Please provide any relevant information and documents that haven't been previously provided. Not sure if something applies to you? Bring it anyway. We'll sort it out together.
Personal info
- Social Security cards for you, your spouse if filing jointly, and any dependents being claimed.
- Driver's license for you, and your spouse if filing jointly.
- Birth certificates for all dependent children on the return.
- Last year's tax return, if we didn't prepare it. It's a helpful guide and carries over important information.
- Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit. Paper refund checks are being phased out.
Income documents
- W-2s for you and your spouse from all employers.
- 1099s for self-employment, interest, dividends, 401(k) or IRA withdrawals, government payments and other transactions.
- 1099-DA for all crypto and digital asset sales New
- W-2G for gambling and lottery winnings, losses, prizes and bonuses.
- K-1s from partnerships, S corporations, trusts and estates.
- Social Security benefit statements.
- Rental, investment and any other income, plus alimony received (agreements before 2019).
Deduction documents
- Form 1095-A if you bought health insurance through the Marketplace.
- Form 1098 for home mortgage interest.
- Taxes paid: real estate, personal property, state and local.
- Charitable donation receipts.
- Medical and dental expenses.
- Form 1098-T for tuition, plus student loan interest statements.
- Retirement contributions to IRA, SEP, SIMPLE and qualified plans.
Credit information
- Childcare: provider's name, address, tax ID and amount paid.
- Education: tuition, books and supplies.
- Adoption: legal, medical and travel expenses.
- Energy-efficient home improvements.
- Estimated taxes paid during the year.
Business & rentals
- Rental property income and expenses.
- Business income and expenses if you're self-employed or own a business.
- Any other income documents that need to be declared.
Upload 48 hours before your appointment.
Scan everything on this list into the client portal ahead of time. We review it before you arrive, so your appointment is about answers, not paperwork.
Upload to the portalRefund & amendment status
Filed? Track it straight from the IRS.
Once your return is accepted, the IRS tools below show exactly where it stands. Have your Social Security number, filing status and exact refund amount ready.
Check your refund status
See whether your return was received, your refund approved, and when it's sent. For payment history, prior-year AGI and other records, use your IRS Online Account.
Check your amendment status
Track your Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for this year and up to three prior years. Amended returns take longer to process, so check back periodically.
Financial calculators
Run the numbers before you decide.
Over 100 free calculators for taxes, paychecks, retirement, homes, cars and more. Pick a topic to see what's inside.
Taxes
Paycheck & benefits
Retirement
Savings
Home & mortgage
Automobile
Cash flow
College
Credit
Insurance
Qualified plans
Calculators are provided by CalcXML for educational purposes. Results are estimates. Talk to us before making a decision.
IRS withholding estimator
No surprise bills. No oversized refunds.
If you're an employee, the IRS estimator helps you decide whether to give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate, so you don't have too much or too little federal income tax withheld from your pay.
Continue to the withholding estimatorWho can benefit?
- Employees who want to change their withholding to shrink their refund or their balance due.
- Anyone the paper W-4 only approximates: two jobs, two working spouses, head of household, or several children eligible for the Child Tax Credit.
- Employees with non-wage income who'd rather have tax withheld from their paycheck than make separate estimated payments.
Tips before you start
- Have your most recent pay stubs handy.
- Have your most recent tax return handy.
- Estimate if you must, but remember: results are only as accurate as what you enter.
Record retention guide
How long to keep your tax records.
Keep the records that support your return until its period of limitations runs out. That's the window when you can amend your return to claim a credit or refund, or the IRS can assess more tax.
The clock generally starts after you file. Returns filed early are treated as filed on the due date.
Periods of limitations for income tax returns
You owe additional tax, and none of the situations below apply. This is most people.
You file a claim for credit or refund after filing: the later of 3 years, or 2 years after the tax was paid.
You don't report income you should have, and it's more than 25% of the gross income on your return.
You file a claim for a loss from worthless securities.
You file a fraudulent return, or you don't file a return at all.
Kinds of records to keep
Your basic records prove the amounts on your return.
Income
W-2s · 1099s · K-1s · Bank statements · Brokerage statements
Expenses
Sales slips · Invoices · Receipts · Canceled checks or other proof of payment · Letters from qualified charities
Home
Closing statements · Purchase and sales invoices · Proof of payment · Insurance records · Improvement receipts
Investments
Brokerage statements · Mutual fund statements · 1099s · Form 2439
Why keep records?
Beyond taxes, you may need them for insurance or a loan. Good records help you:
- Identify income sources, business vs. personal, taxable vs. not.
- Track expenses as they happen, so no deduction slips by.
- Know your basis: the original cost of property plus improvements.
- Prepare your return quickly and accurately.
- Back up your return if the IRS asks. Without records, you may pay more tax and penalties.
Proof of payment
Proof of payment alone doesn't prove an item is allowable, so keep other supporting documents too. If you pay in cash, get a dated, signed receipt showing the amount and the reason. Here's what each statement must show:
Amount · Payee's name · Transaction date
Check number · Amount · Payee's name · Date it posted to your account
Amount charged · Payee's name · Transaction date
Amount transferred · Payee's name · Date it posted to your account
Amount · Payee code · Transaction date
Specific records, A to Z
Tap a topic to see what to keep.
Alimony
Keep a copy of your written separation agreement or divorce, separate maintenance or support decree. If you pay alimony, you'll also need your former spouse's Social Security number.
Business use of your home
Keep records showing the part of your home used for business and the expenses related to that use.
Casualty and theft losses
For a casualty: the type (car accident, fire, storm), when it happened, that the loss was a direct result, and that you owned the property. For a theft: when you discovered it missing, that it was stolen, and that you owned it.
Child care credit
The name, address and taxpayer ID of every person or organization that cared for your child or dependent. Form W-10 is an easy way to collect it.
Charitable contributions
Records depend on whether you gave cash, property, or out-of-pocket expenses. See IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions.
Credit for the elderly or disabled
Under 65? Keep your physician's statement certifying you were permanently and totally disabled when you retired. A VA Form 21-0172 can substitute. You don't file it, but you must keep it.
Dependents
Claiming a spouse, qualifying child or qualifying relative? Keep records that support the claim.
Education expenses
Transcripts or course descriptions showing enrollment, plus canceled checks and receipts for tuition, books and supplies.
Employee business expenses
See IRS Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, for what records to keep.
Energy incentives
Prove when and how you got the property, what you paid, and that it qualified: purchase invoices, the manufacturer's certification statement and canceled checks.
Gambling winnings and losses
An accurate diary: date and type of activity, name and location of the establishment, who was with you, and the amount won or lost.
HSA and MSA
For each qualified medical expense paid from your account: who you paid, their address, the amount and the date.
IRAs
Until all distributions are made, keep Form 5498 for each year, Form 1099-R for each distribution, and Form 8606 for any year you made nondeductible contributions. See IRS Publication 590.
Medical and dental expenses
Keep your regular medical records plus transportation for medical care: gas and oil, or a mileage log at the standard rate, and parking, tolls, taxi and bus fares. See IRS Publication 502.
Mortgage interest
Paid $600 or more? You should get Form 1098. Keep it with your mortgage statement and loan information. See IRS Publication 936.
Moving expenses
Qualified, unreimbursed moving expenses may be deductible. See IRS Publication 521 for what qualifies and what records you need.
Pensions and annuities
Keep the worksheet you used to figure the taxable part until you fully recover your contributions. See IRS Publications 575 and 721.
Got your checklist together?
Skip the trip. Scan it from the couch.
Download the Client Portal app and tap SCAN WITH CAMERA. Your documents land straight in your secure My Tax folder, ready for us to review.
Questions are the root of all answers
Don't be shy. Let's start a conversation.
Can't find what you're looking for on this page? Ask us. There's no such thing as a silly tax question.