What information do I need to file my 2021 tax return?

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Personal information 

• Your Social Security number and everyone else on your tax return. Spouse and dependents. 

• ITIN number if you do not have insurance. 

• Date of birth of all your dependents.

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Information on income and investments

 

• Form W-2 Declaration of wages and taxes.

• Form W-2G for gambling winnings, lottery payouts, etc. 

• Any (and all) Form 1099s - There are several different types of 1099s. Some of the most common include:

  •     1099-NEC if you are self-employed.

  • 1099-DIV if you received dividends.

  • 1099-G if you received money or government benefits.

  • 1099-K if you made electronic transactions (through PayPal or Venmo, for example).

  • 1099-R for distributions from a retirement plan, IRA, pension, annuity, etc. 

  • 1099-MISC if you have received rent payments, awards and rewards, medical and health care payments, or income. 

  • 1099-SA for distributions from your qualified health plan.

  • 1099-C for debt cancellation.

•    Social Security Benefits: If you receive Social Security, you will receive an SSA-1099 in January that shows the total amount of benefits you received for the year. 

• Last year's state refund amount - If you itemize your deductions, then your state refund is considered income for tax purposes.

For businesses and self-employed workers (self-employment)

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• Business income and self-employment records (for business or self-employment). 

• Business expense records - These can be receipts, credit card statements, records of checks you have written, etc. 

• Quarterly Estimated Tax Payment Receipts - If you make installment payments on your tax bill during the year, the IRS (and your state) must send you a record of what you paid, similar to a receipt.

• Mileage records: To get a deduction for your trip, you will need to know how many miles you drove for work purposes.  Home Office Expenses - Taking the Home Office Deduction? You will need to know how big your space is in square footage. If you decide to use the actual expenses method, you will also need a record of your housing-related expenses, such as utilities and your mortgage (or rent).

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Other documents

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• Receipts and records for medical expenses. 

• Receipts for unreimbursed medical expenses - These may include exams, surgeries, and preventive care.

• It could also be braces, glasses, hearing aids, prescriptions, even transportation to and from treatment. 

• Form 1095: Health Insurance Coverage Forms - If you are enrolled through the Marketplace, you will receive Form 1095-A. Insurance providers will send a 1095-B to the people they cover. If your employer offers coverage, they must send you a 1095-C. 

• Charitable donations. 

• Charitable Donation Receipts - If you plan to take a tax deduction for donations you made to charities, you will need to be able to back them up with receipts showing the date, value, and charity. Learn more about what is considered a charitable donation here. 

• Other information about homeownership. 

• Property tax receipts: If you itemize your deductions, you could write off a portion of the property taxes you paid. 

• 1098 for declaration of mortgage interest. 

• 1098-E for the payment of student loans. 

• 1098-T for the payment of tuition. 

• Form 5498 for voluntary contributions to retirement plans.

 

You can download this list as a PDF for printing, and use it as a guide to the documents you will present at your interview to complete your tax return *.

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* This list is only informative for the purpose of guiding you in gathering the information necessary for your tax return.