What to Bring to a Tax Appointment: Income, Deductions, Credits

To make a tax appointment go smoothly, bring photo ID, Social Security numbers for everyone on the return, every income form you received, receipts and statements for the deductions and credits you plan to claim, last year’s tax return, and any letters the IRS sent you during the year. The checklist below walks through what to bring to a tax appointment in the order a preparer typically works through it, with the less obvious items — digital assets, foreign accounts, energy credits — included so nothing gets missed.

Identification and Bank Details

Your preparer has to verify your identity before filing electronically. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Bring Social Security numbers or ITINs for yourself, your spouse, and every dependent on the return. Having the physical Social Security cards or ITIN letters lets your preparer confirm that names and numbers match IRS records exactly, which prevents rejections.

For a direct-deposit refund, bring your bank’s routing number and your account number. Both appear on a personal check, a bank statement, or your online banking page.1Internal Revenue Service. Direct Deposit Is the Best Way to Get a Federal Tax Refund If you want your refund split across accounts, bring the numbers for each.

If the IRS assigned you an Identity Protection PIN, bring the current six-digit number. The IRS issues a new one each year, and any return filed without it will be rejected.2Internal Revenue Service. FAQs About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)

Life Changes From the Past Year

Marriage, divorce, a new child, or the death of a spouse can shift your filing status, your tax bracket, and the credits you qualify for. Bring documentation for any of these events:

  • Marriage certificate, if you married during the tax year
  • Final divorce decree or separate maintenance agreement
  • Birth certificates, adoption paperwork, or Social Security cards for children born or adopted during the year
  • Death certificate for a spouse who died, which may allow you to file as a qualifying surviving spouse for up to two years after the year of death

The IRS may also ask for records such as school enrollment or medical records to confirm that a dependent lived with you for more than half the year.3Internal Revenue Service. Supporting Documents to Prove Filing Status If you have those on hand, bring them.

Income Documents

You have to report all income, even income that didn’t come with a tax form.4Internal Revenue Service. Taxable Income Gather every income form you received:

Also bring notes on income that doesn’t generate a form: jury duty pay, cash prizes, small-scale rental income, side sales. It’s still taxable.

Self-Employment and Business Records

If you had freelance, contractor, or small business income, the 1099s are only half the picture. Bring organized records of the expenses you plan to deduct. The IRS expects supporting documents that show the payee, amount, date, and business purpose for each expense.12Internal Revenue Service. What Kind of Records Should I Keep Typical categories:

  • Mileage log or receipts for gas, maintenance, and insurance on a vehicle used for business
  • Square footage of a dedicated home office plus total home costs (rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance)
  • Receipts for supplies, computers, software, and tools
  • Travel and meal receipts with date, location, business purpose, and amount

If you made quarterly estimated tax payments, bring confirmation of each one with the date and amount. Your IRS online account and your Form 1040-ES voucher copies both show this history.13Internal Revenue Service. Estimated Taxes Bring state estimated payment records too.

Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Records

If you bought, sold, traded, or received cryptocurrency, NFTs, or other digital assets, you need detailed transaction records. Starting with the 2025 tax year, brokers report digital asset sales on Form 1099-DA.14Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Form 1099-DA Bring any 1099-DA you received. Foreign exchanges may not send one, but you still have to report the activity.

For each transaction, your preparer needs the type of asset, the acquisition and sale dates, the number of units, the fair market value in U.S. dollars at purchase and sale, and your cost basis including fees.15Internal Revenue Service. Digital Assets Most exchanges let you download a transaction history that contains all of this. Save or print that report before your appointment.

Records for Itemized Deductions

For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household.16Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026 Itemizing only pays if your documented expenses exceed those amounts, so bring the records and let your preparer compare.

Mortgage, Property, and State or Local Taxes

Homeowners should bring Form 1098 from the mortgage lender, which reports mortgage interest and any points paid on a home purchase.17Internal Revenue Service. Form 1098 – Mortgage Interest Statement Also bring property tax bills and records of state or local income or sales taxes paid. The SALT deduction is capped at $40,400 for 2026.

Charitable Contributions

Bring receipts or bank statements for each gift to a qualified charity. Any single donation of $250 or more requires a written acknowledgment from the charity that shows the amount and states whether you got anything in return.18Internal Revenue Service. Substantiating Charitable Contributions For donated property such as clothing or furniture, bring a list of items and their estimated fair market value.

Medical and Dental Expenses

Unreimbursed medical and dental expenses are deductible to the extent they exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income.19Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses Bring itemized invoices, insurance statements showing what wasn’t covered, and payment records for doctors, prescriptions, dental and vision care, and medical equipment. Bring them even if you’re unsure the total clears the threshold; your preparer can run the numbers.

Educator Expenses

Eligible educators can deduct up to $300 in unreimbursed classroom expenses ($600 for married couples where both spouses are educators) as an adjustment to income, so the deduction applies even if you don’t itemize.20Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 458, Educator Expense Deduction Bring receipts for books, supplies, computer equipment, and professional development.

Student Loan Interest

If you paid interest on a qualified student loan, bring Form 1098-E from each lender that charged you $600 or more in interest.21Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1098-E, Student Loan Interest Statement This is also an adjustment to income; you don’t have to itemize to claim it.

Records for Tax Credits

Credits cut your tax bill dollar for dollar. Each has its own paperwork.

Child Tax Credit

The Child Tax Credit is worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child. Each child must have a Social Security number valid for employment, issued before the return’s due date.22Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit Bring the Social Security cards and documentation of each child’s date of birth and residency with you for more than half the year.

Education Credits

For the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit, bring Form 1098-T from the school.23Internal Revenue Service. a href=”https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/education-credits-aotc-and-llc” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Education Credits: American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) The amount on Form 1098-T often doesn’t match what you actually paid, so also bring receipts for tuition, required fees, and course materials that weren’t included on the form. If the school didn’t issue a 1098-T, you can still claim a credit with other proof of enrollment and payment.

Child and Dependent Care Credit

If you paid for care of a child under 13 or a disabled dependent so you could work, your preparer needs the following for each care provider to complete Form 2441:24Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2441

  • Provider’s name and physical address
  • Provider’s Social Security number, ITIN, or Employer Identification Number
  • Total you paid for care during the year

If a provider won’t give you a tax ID number, bring documentation of your good-faith effort to request it. Without that, the credit can be disallowed.

Energy Efficiency Credits

For energy-efficient home improvements — insulation, windows, doors, heat pumps, solar — bring receipts and the manufacturer’s certification statement showing the product qualifies.25Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 5695 For items installed in 2025 or later, you also need the four-character Qualified Manufacturer Identification Number (QMID) for each product, which should appear on the certification or product label. The credit covers 30 percent of qualifying costs, up to $1,200 per year for most improvements and up to $2,000 for heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

Health Insurance and HSA Documents

If you bought health coverage through the Marketplace (healthcare.gov or a state exchange), bring Form 1095-A. Your preparer needs it to reconcile any advance premium tax credit payments against the credit you actually qualify for.26Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement Filing without it can produce a wrong refund or an unexpected balance due.

For a Health Savings Account, bring the year-end account statement and your W-2, which shows employer and pretax contributions in Box 12 (code W). For 2026, the contribution limit is $4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage.27Internal Revenue Service. IRS Notice – HSA Inflation Adjusted Amounts for 2026 If you made after-tax contributions directly to the HSA, bring records of the dates and amounts so your preparer can complete Form 8889 and determine any additional deduction.

Foreign Accounts and Assets

Foreign financial accounts trigger separate reporting. You must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) if the combined value of your foreign accounts topped $10,000 at any point during the year.28Internal Revenue Service. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) Bring statements for each foreign account showing the account name and number, the bank’s name and address, the account type, and the maximum balance during the year.

You may also need Form 8938 with your tax return. For taxpayers living in the United States, the threshold is more than $50,000 on the last day of the year, or more than $75,000 at any point during the year, for single filers; and more than $100,000 on the last day, or $150,000 at any point, for married couples filing jointly.29Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8938 Bring account statements, brokerage records, and documentation for any foreign pensions, trusts, or partnership interests.

Retirement Contributions and Rollovers

IRA custodians report contributions on Form 5498, but you typically don’t receive it until the end of May, after most people file.30Internal Revenue Service. Form 5498 – IRA Contribution Information Instead of waiting, pull your total contribution amount from your year-end account statement or the custodian’s online portal. Your preparer needs the figure to check whether you qualify for a deduction on a traditional IRA and to confirm you didn’t exceed the annual limit.

If you rolled money from one retirement account to another during the year, such as from a 401(k) to an IRA, bring documentation of the rollover so your preparer reports it correctly and the IRS doesn’t treat it as a taxable distribution.

Last Year’s Return and IRS Letters

Bring a copy of last year’s federal and state returns with all schedules. Prior returns let your preparer pick up items that carry forward, such as capital loss carryovers: net capital losses above the $3,000 annual limit carry into future years and reduce taxable income.31Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule D (Form 1040) Prior returns also help your preparer spot inconsistencies and identify whether an amended return on Form 1040-X is needed for an earlier year.32Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1040-X

Bring every letter or notice you got from the IRS or your state tax agency during the year: notices about changes to a prior return, outstanding balances, payment plan agreements, advance credit payments. Your preparer needs to see them so this year’s filing lines up with what the agency has on record.