What do I need to bring to my tax appointment?

Tax season is here, and you are starting to think… Man, what do I need to remember to bring this year? The good news is: we have a simple tax checklist you can find HERE. We also send you everything you need to know in your client organizer. This packet includes our engagement letter as well as a list of questions to help brainstorm any documents or information we need to be aware of.

 The following is a good general list of the items to bring in with you for your scheduled tax appointment:

Prior Year Tax Return Copies  

This is generally only needed if you are a new client. If so, bring your tax returns from the previous three years.

Personal & Dependent Information 

Social Security or ITIN Numbers with date of births for anyone who’ll be on your tax return

Childcare payment records with licensed provider’s ID number(s)

Amount of any alimony payments with ex-spouse SSN

Income Statements 

Bring any & all W-2, 1098, 1099 & schedule K-1 forms

Purchase date & total investment for any stocks or property sold

List of investment related expenses

Education scholarships or fellowships

Itemized Deductions 

Mortgage interest, real estate & personal property tax records

Casualty & theft losses

Amounts of state & local income tax paid in prior years

Records of cash donations to religious institutions, schools & other charities

Records on non-cash charitable donations

Unreimbursed job-related expenses (travel, tools, cell phone charges, uniform cost/cleaning, luggage, services fees, trade journals, meals & entertainment)

Job search/moving expenses

Retirement & Education 

Records of any contributions to IRAs, HSAs & other retirement plans

Records of tuition and other higher education expenses (books, computers, etc)

Health Care (New for Tax Year 2018)  

Form 1095-A if you received health insurance from an Exchange (State or Federal)

Marketplace exemption certificate if you applied for and received an exemption from the Exchange

Stocks & Mutual Funds 

If you sold stocks or mutual funds, please provide a spreadsheet/list showing:

The date(s) you purchased each item(s) sold

Total purchase price of each item sold.  Do not assume your cost information is provided on Form 1099.

Self-Employment 

Gross self-employment income for the tax year and your applicable expenses categorized and summarized by the type of expense (i.e. advertising, equipment, supplies, etc)

Rental Property 

If you received income from rental property (Schedule E), please prepare a simple 1-page income statement showing:

Gross rental income you received during the tax year

Your applicable expenses categorized and summarized by the type of expense (i.e. advertising, mortgage interest, real estate taxes, repairs, maintenance, condo fees, etc).

Rental start date and original cost base for all properties

If you used a portion of your home for business use, please provide:

Square footage calculation of the area used for business

The date you began using the space for business

Original purchase price paid for the property

Summary of your utility expenses (gas, electric, oil, condo fees, landscaping, snowplowing, maintenance, etc)

Major home improvements and direct office expenses (repairs, business phone, etc).

Business Use of Home Information

If you use a part of your home for your business, bring the following:

Square footage calculation of the area used for business

The date you began using the space for business

Original purchase price paid for the property

Summary of your utility expenses (gas, electric, oil, condo fees, landscaping, snowplowing, maintenance, etc)

Major home improvements and direct office expenses (repairs, business phone, etc)

If You Were Affected by a Disaster

There are deductions that are applicable if you were affected by a federally declared disaster.

Records of property loss

Records of building/repair costs

Insurance reimbursement/claims to be paid

FEMA assistance information

Violet Ly
Front Office Supervisor

The Molen & Associates Difference

Mike Forsyth

“Super helpful and timely. This is our first year with them and we look forward to trusting them with our taxes and business books for years to come.”

Caitlin Daulong

“Molen & Associates is amazing! They run an incredibly streamlined process, which makes filing taxes a breeze. So impressed with their attention to detail, organization, and swift execution every year. Cannot recommend them enough!”

Sy Sahrai

“I’ve been with Mr. Molen’s company for few years and I felt treated like family respect and dignity. They are caring, professional and honest, which hard to find these days. Love working with them.”

Should I Open an HSA?

Should I Open An HSA Account? Are you considering a Health Savings Account (HSA)? If so, it is vital to understand what exactly an HSA entails. With this guide, you'll learn all about it: the advantages of an HSA and how it can help you manage your medical expenses....

Personal Finance Tips for Young Adults

As someone who has been working for most of their life, I wish there was someone out there who had shown me the correct way to save money for my future. Now that I am in my 30s, I have been getting better at saving money, but there are some personal finance tips that...

How to Track Expenses

There are many different methodologies, tools, tips, and tricks for tracking expenses, and it ultimately depends on your lifestyle and how actively and accurately you want to track them. This is information I’ve pulled from other sources and compiled into a few...

How To Accurately Record Commuting Mileage and Increase Tax Deductions

Increase Tax Deductions With the Business-Mileage Rule Using the Business Mileage tax deduction can be tricky. There are lots of situations that count while others do not. We don’t like commuting mileage. You should dislike it, too. It’s personal. It’s not deductible....

Bookkeeping 101

As a new business owner, you will certainly have some responsibilities you won’t be able to avoid. One of those non-negotiable part of your business is producing financial statements. It can be overwhelming trying to master a topic such as bookkeeping but don’t worry...

Bankruptcy – Everything You Need to Know

Everything you need to know Filing for bankruptcy protection is considered a statement on your ability to repay your debt to your creditors. Filing for bankruptcy will also put a halt to foreclosure or legal actions against you, and it stops creditors from calling and...

Top Tax Tips for 2023

Tax Refunds May Be Smaller This Year Plan now to learn these 2023 tax tips avoid surprises in the future! If you’re expecting a tax refund in 2023, it may be smaller than last year, according to the IRS. Your annual balance is based on taxable income, calculated by...

What is an EA?

Have you ever seen the title EA next to a tax professional’s name and wonder what it means? Or maybe you’re familiar with the title and you’re curious about the differences between an EA and CPA? Either way, in this blog I will be answering these frequently asked...

History of Federal Income Tax Rates: 1913 – 2021

The United States federal government levies taxes on the income of its citizens and legal residents. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the agency responsible for collecting these taxes.  Federal income tax rates have changed several times since 1913, when the...

Familiarize Yourself With Tax Terminology

Yes, I know, tax terminology feels like a whole new language. For most people all of tax forms can be even more confusing than a foreign language. What’s the difference between itemized deduction and standard deduction? What’s Income tax?  These words and more tax...

Request an Appointment Today

10 + 1 =

Call us at

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

VOTE FOR

MOLEN & ASSOCIATES

FOR BEST TAX FIRM

As part of the Houston Chronicle's "Best of the Best" Competition 2023

You can vote every day from March 27th to April 10th