What to Bring to Your Tax Appointment

What to Bring to Your Tax Appointment

 

Every taxpayer’s situation is unique, and thus it is impossible to list all the items one must bring in for a tax appointment for every type of tax situation. When in doubt, bring the item in question to your tax appointment. 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

If you are a new client, please bring copies of your last 2 years federal and state income tax returns. Kevin Minkoff will review them for FREE, and may be able to amend mistakes/omissions getting you back additional refunds.

 

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

    If you are planning on itemizing your deductions (Schedule A) please compose a spreadsheet/list summarizing them. Itemized deductions include:

  • 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 beginning in 2014)

  • 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

    Please prepare a simple 1 page income statement which summarizes your:

  • Gross self employment income for the tax year
  • 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

     

    Business Use of Home

    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).

     

    Residential Energy Efficient Improvements

    Please provide the cost of the following applicable items:

  • High-efficiency heating & cooling systems
  • Water heaters
  • Windows
  • Doors
  • Insulation
  • Qualified solar electric property
  • Solar water heating property
  • Fuel cell property
  • Small wind energy property
  • Geothermal heat pump property

     

    Foreign Nationals on a F-1 or J-1 Visas

    Please bring your Visa and passport and summarize the following information:

  • Your permanent address where you are a citizen
  • Your F-1 / J-1 VISA number
  • The actual dates entered / left the United States for corresponding tax year
  • The number of days you were in the United States for the previous three tax years

     

    Estimated Tax Payments

    If you made any estimated tax payments this tax year, we will need:

  • Dates and amounts paid of all federal and state estimated tax payments

     

    Business Rents Paid

    Please summarize the rent you paid for business purposes during the tax year and your landlord’s name and address.

     

    Moving Expenses

    If your move is employment related, please summarize your moving expenses. You can only deduct:

  • Cost to move your household goods
  • Storage
  • One time trip to make the final move to your new location

     

    Finally, please bring any other official tax documents you received not mentioned above. When in doubt, bring it!

    If you have any other questions with respect to what to bring to your appointment, please contact Kevin R. Minkoff, CPA, PC.