Documents We Need
Below is a comprehensive list of the documents we may need to prepare a tax return
Review this list for the situations which apply to you and bring the forms or information listed
The envelope from your prior year's tax return will have the documents we used and can be a helpful source for what we will need this year.
If you are unclear whether a specific situation applies to you, be sure to ask your counselor about it during your appointment.
Identification for you and your spouse, if you are married.
A government issued photo ID; If you are using a driver's license we need to see the front and back of it.
The front of your Social Security Card
Identification for each dependent included on your return
Front of the individual's Social Security Card OR Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Additional Information
Your most recent tax return
We will ask you to complete our Intake/Interview & Quality Review Sheet.
Your bank account and account routing numbers for direct deposit - we can get this information from a check
Information regarding any estimated tax payments you made to the IRS or your state tax agency
Some of our sites will provide a Taxpayer Packet which has forms they ask you to complete before coming in for your appointment. These forms include the Intake/Interview & Quality Review Sheet and other worksheets mentioned on this page.
Forms reporting Income and Taxes Paid
Most Common
W-2 forms you received from each employer
Form 1099-G reporting Unemployment you received - this form is only available online by signing on to your account at www.labor.ny.gov/signin
Form 1099-INT - Interest Income
Form 1099-DIV - Dividend Income
Form SSA-1099 - Social Security Benefit Statement
Form 1099-R - Distributions from Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit Sharing Plans, IRA's, or Insurance Contracts, etc.
Form W-2G - Certain Gambling Winnings
Amount of gambling winnings not reported on a Form W-2G AND the amount of gambling losses for the year, if you had gambling winnings.
Less Common
Form RRB-1099-R - Payments by the Railroad Retirement Board
Form 1099-MISC - Miscellaneous Income - income received from royalties, rents, prizes or awards.
Schedule K-1 Form 1120S - Shareholder's share of income, deductions and credits
Form 1099-C - Cancellation of nonbusiness credit card debt
Form 1099-S - Proceeds from real estate transactions
Form 982 - Forgiveness of main home mortgage
If you are divorced and paid or received alimony
The amount of alimony you paid or received in the tax year
The name and Social Security Number of your former spouse
If you have education expenses for your spouse, a dependent, or yourself
Form 1098-T - Tuition Statement - issued by the education institution attended
A listing of education expenses - a bursar's statement is helpful
Form 1099-Q - Payments from qualified education programs such as a Section 529 Savings Plan
Completing this Education Credits Worksheet will help identify the information needed for your return
If you are self-employed
Form 1099-NEC - Non-employee compensation
Documentation of all cash income received
Completing this Self-employed Worksheet will help identify the information needed for your return
Form 1099-K - Payment card and third party network transactions - you might receive this form if you drove for companies such as Uber, Lyft or DoorDash.
If you purchased health insurance from the Health Insurance Market Place
Form 1095-A - Health Insurance Market Place Statement
If you paid for child care or for dependent care so that you could work
Information regarding the childcare or dependent care expenses you paid and the taxpayer ID of the individual or organization you paid for that care
If you pay real estate taxes, you may receive a benefit from a real estate tax credit
Even if your itemized expenses are not enough to provide a benefit, please bring the details of your real estate tax payments, tax bills and STAR credit payments you have received, because you may be eligible for a real estate tax credit on your New York State return.
If you pay mortgage interest, pay real estate taxes, have extensive medical expenses, or make charitable contributions, you may receive a benefit from itemizing deductions.
Completing this Itemized Deductions Worksheet will help identify the information needed for your return
If you have an investment account and sold stocks or bonds during the year
The Tax Information Statement you received from your broker which will include your broker's version of the following forms:
Form 1099-B - Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions
Form 1099-DIV - Dividend Income
Form 1099-INT - Interest Income