The end of January has come and gone, which means you should have all of your important tax documents by now. You know what that means? It’s time to gather everything to get ready to file your tax returns. Whether you file your own taxes or get them done, you’ll still need to tackle this important step.
Tax Forms You’ll Need
Here are some of the most common tax forms. (Keep in mind, this isn’t a complete list. Check with IRS.gov for more information.):
- Form W-2, if you’re employed
- Form SSA-1099, if you get Social Security benefits
- Various 1099s, depending on your situation
- Form 1095-A if you had health insurance through the government Marketplace
- Form 1098 to report mortgage interest (1098), student loan interest (1098-E) and tuition payments (1098-T)
- Form W-2Gs if you have certain gambling winnings
Gather Your Receipts
You’ll need to decide if you’re itemizing your deductions or taking the standard deduction. To better decide, you’ll need your receipts for the year to see what gives you the biggest write-off. Here are some of the receipts you’ll need:
- Cash donations to schools, charities and religious institutions
- Non-cash charitable donations
- Job search/moving expenses
- Unreimbursed job-related expenses such as travel, cell phone charges, tools, uniform cost/cleaning, trade journals, meals and entertainment
- Vehicle registration expenses
Personal information
You already know your address and social security number, but what about the addresses of any rental properties or your dependents’ social security numbers? Also, any addresses of properties you’ve bought or sold. Have all of this information written down and handy.
Get Ready to File
It’s up to you how you want to file. But keep in mind that WWFCU members get great savings on TurboTax federal products. Feel free to view and print out this tax preparation checklistfrom TurboTax for extra help.