Submitted By: Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company, P.A.
Taxpayers using a professional tax preparer should make sure they have all their information readily available before their appointment. Collecting their information and getting copies of any missing documents before taxpayers sit down to prepare their return is critical to filing an accurate tax return. Having organized records and information in hand helps prevent filing errors and will likely create a smoother filing experience.
**This information is shared from the IRS COVID Tax Tip 2022-125
Here’s a list of information taxpayers may need. Not all information applies to all taxpayers.
- Social Security numbers of everyone listed on the tax return.
- Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit or information to make a tax payment.
- Forms W-2 from employer(s).
- Forms 1099 from banks, issuing agencies and other payers including unemployment compensation, dividends, distributions from a pension, annuity or retirement plan.
- Form 1099-K, 1099-MISC, W-2 or other income statement for workers in the gig economy.
- Form 1099-INT for interest received.
- Other income documents and records of virtual currency transactions.
- Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement.
- Information to support claiming other credits or deductions, such as receipts for child or dependent care, college expenses or donations.
WHAT TAXPAYERS SHOULD DO IF THEY’RE MISSING OTHER DOCUMENTS
Taxpayers who didn’t receive a W-2 or Form 1099 should contact the employer, payer or issuing agency and request the missing documents. This also applies for those who received an incorrect W-2 or Form 1099.
If they still can’t get the forms, they can use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement or Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. If a taxpayer doesn’t receive the missing or corrected form in time to file their tax return, they can estimate the wages or payments made to them, as well as any taxes withheld. They can use Form 4852 to report this information on their federal tax return.
