Getting organized for 2018 taxes: What you need to know

Individuals 02.15.2019 3 MIN READ

While the April 15 tax filing deadline is coming up, with advance preparation, doing your taxes can be much easier. We’ve created this checklist of documents and forms that you’ll need to help you prepare your return. Whether you do your own taxes or you use a tax preparer, this checklist will help you organize the necessary information.

Where did you receive income in 2018?

Income:	Documentation/forms needed:
Paid job(s)	W-2
Investments, such as interest or dividends	1099-INT, 1099-DIV
Tax refunds from a state government, Unemployment compensation	1099-G
A pension, annuity or retirement plan	1099-R
Social Security	SSA-1099
Other miscellaneous income	1099-MISC
Business or rental properties, farms	Business records, receipts and check registers

What expenses did you have that may reduce your tax bill?

Expenses:	Documentation/forms needed:
Home mortgage interest	1098
Real estate taxes	Receipts from your city, town or country¹
Charitable contributions	Receipts from charities, especially if gifts >$250 in value²
Tuition, fees or other qualified education expenses	1098-T
Student loan interest	1096-E
Child and dependent-care expenses	Caregivers' tax ID numbers, receipts, copies of checks or check register
Casualty loss from a federally declared disaster	Proof of loss, contractor estimates, receipts for the cost of cleaning up or making repairs, amount of any insurance reimbursement

What else did you do this year that might impact your taxes?

Action:	Documentation/forms needed:
Made retirement plan contributions, including Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or converted a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA	Amount of your contributions, your W-2, Form 5498 and traditional IRA basis (Form 8606)
Health savings account (HSA) contributions	Year-end statement, copies of checks or check register, Form 5498-SA
Sold investments	1099-B
Change in marital status, or added a new person to your family	SSN or other IRS-issued Taxpayer Identification Number for spouse and/or dependents, divorce or separation instrument, W-2 for adoption benefits, receipts for adoption expenses

Have you already paid some of your taxes?

Payments:	Documentation/forms needed:
Withholding on your paycheck	Included on your W-2
Withholding from a pension annuity, 401(k) withdrawal, etc.	1099-R
Estimated payments	Copy of your payment vouchers and checks

Tax Preparation: Resources for getting organized and filing your taxes

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¹If you escrow, these payments may also be noted on the 1098 you receive from your lender.

²Substantiation letter for non-cash gifts should indicate amount of cash and description of other property, statement indicating whether any goods or services were exchanged if applicable.

Note: Not intended to cover all situations or examples. Consult a financial or tax advisor to be sure you fully understand your tax situation.

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