Gathering Tax Documents

To prepare for your meeting with a VITA tax preparer read through the following items to make sure you have everything you need with you at the intake interview and that your return is in-scope for our volunteer preparers.

What to
Bring

  • For married filing joint, both spouses must be present
  • Government issued photo identification for you and your spouse (if married)
  • Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number documents for you, your spouse, and/or dependents
  • Birth dates for you, spouse, and/or dependents
  • A copy of last year’s tax return
  • All Forms W-2 and 1099
  • Forms 1095-A, B or C (ACA Statements)
  • Information for other income
  • Information for all deductions (including charitable contributions)/credits
  • Total paid to day care provider and their tax ID number
  • For direct deposit of refund, proof of account and bank’s routing number
  • For prior year returns, copies of income transcripts from IRS (and state, if applicable)

Will
Prepare

Returns that have these types of income and credits can be prepared by our VITA volunteer preparers.

  • Wages, salaries, etc. (Form W-2)
  • Interest Income (Form 1099-INT)
  • Dividends Received (Form 1099-DIV)
  • State Tax Refunds (Form 1099-G)
  • Unemployment Benefits (Form 1099-G)
  • IRA Distributions (Form 1099-R)
  • Pension Income (Forms 1099-R, RRB-1099-R, CSA-1099)
  • Social Security Benefits (Form SSA-1099, RRB-1099)
  • Simple Capital Gain/Loss (Form 1099-B) limited
  • Sale of Home (Form 1099-S) limited
  • Prior Year and Amended Returns
  • Self-Employed Income (Form 1099-MISC, Form 1099-NEC and Form 1099-K) limited
  • Gambling Winnings (Form W-2G)
  • Cancellation of Debt (Form 1099-C) limited
  • Health Savings Accounts (Form 1099-SA) limited
  • Itemized Deductions limited
  • Education Credits (Form 1098-T)
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Earned Income Credit
  • Health Insurance Statements (Forms 1095-A, B or C)

Will Not
Prepare

Returns that have these features are generally out-of-scope for our preparation services.

  • Schedule C with loss, depreciation or business use of home (note: Most income from home rentals is out-of-scope because it involves depreciation)
  • Complicated Schedule D (capital gains and losses)
  • Form SS-5 (request for Social Security Number)
  • Form 8606 (non-deductible IRA)
  • Form 8814 (child taxed at parent’s tax rate)
  • Form SS-8 (determination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding)
  • Parts 4 & 5 of Form 8962 (Allocation of Policy Amounts, Alternative Calculation for Year of Marriage)
  • Form W-7 application for Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) (note: VITA sites can generally prepare the tax return that must accompany the W-7 application)
  • Returns with casualty/disaster losses

    Please see a professional tax preparer for assistance with complicated returns.

    –from IRS Publication 3676