Guide to a productive tax preparation meeting

So you made the initial step of making a tax preparation appointment. Now what? If you need multiple years or one year of taxes prepared, what do you bring with you? What is the starting point?

Below is a general guide of what to bring with you in order to have a productive tax preparation meeting. Because every tax return is different, this is just a starting point. There will more than likely be back and forth communication with your tax preparer after the initial meeting for more information or questions to finalize the tax return.

What to bring:

• Full copy of your last filed federal and state returns with all schedules (if we did not prepare the return). Preferably bring the last 3 years of filed returns.
• If you got married or divorced during the tax year, bring your marriage certificate or divorce decree.
• If you are claiming any dependents, we will need their full name, social security numbers, and dates of birth.
• For the tax year we are preparing, bring in any tax documents you received. Examples include:
  • W2
  • 1099s (interest, dividends, self-employed income, retirement distributions, etc)
  • Mortgage interest
  • Stock sale proceeds
  • Student loan interest
  • Student tuition

Other documents/information to bring:

• Property tax bills and amounts paid
• If you rented, bring the landowner’s name and address and the monthly rent paid
• License plate fees paid
• Cash and Non-cash charity donations
• If you are self-employed, bring a summary of your business income and expenses. If you have a separate business bank account, bring your monthly statements. If you use Quick Books, print out the profit and loss, and balance sheet and bring with you.
• If you paid estimated tax, we will need each payment date and amount paid
• Write down any questions you may have for your preparer and bring it with you so you won’t forget to ask when you’re at the meeting.