Tax Preparation Checklists
One uniform checklist per return type — gather what you need before we begin, so nothing slows your filing down.
Tax Year 2026
Filed 2027
Print & Tick
Every checklist below follows the same structure — General & prior return, Income, Deductions & credits, Business-specific, State and Compiled by — so it is easy to see exactly what each return type needs. Choose your return type below (using the dropdown or the tabs), tick items as you gather them, then send everything to our office.
Tip: pick a return type with the dropdown or the tabs below. Printing saves only the checklist you are currently viewing.
Individual Tax Checklist — Form 1040
For personal federal and Georgia returns, including wage earners, retirees, self-employed individuals and investors.
General items & prior return
Please update us with any new information for this tax year.
- A copy of last year’s Federal and State returns.
- SSN and date of birth for you, your spouse and every dependent.
- A copy of your Driver’s License (and your spouse’s, if married filing jointly).
- Current mailing address, and any address change during the year.
- Bank account & routing numbers for direct deposit or direct debit.
- Filing status and any life changes: marriage, divorce, new child, death, or a dependent who moved out.
Income & statements
- All W-2s from every employer.
- 1099 forms — interest, dividends, unemployment, retirement income, Social Security, state tax refunds and unemployment compensation statements.
- 1099-NEC / 1099-MISC / 1099-K for freelance, contract or gig work.
- Pension income amounts, including Social Security (Form SSA-1099).
- IRA contributions or withdrawals (Forms 1099-R and 5498).
- Brokerage 1099-B / consolidated statements, including crypto sales and cost basis.
- Rental income and expenses (Form 1099-MISC / Schedule E).
- Partnership & S-Corp income — Schedule K-1 forms.
- Income from trusts, estates or foreign accounts.
- Marketplace coverage statement (Form 1095-A), if applicable.
- Employee offer-of-coverage reporting (Form 1095-C).
- Any other income statements or records of money received.
Deductions & credits
- Mortgage interest and points paid (Form 1098), plus real estate and auto excise tax.
- Mortgage and home-equity loan interest statements.
- State and local taxes paid (income & property) — subject to the SALT cap.
- Charitable contributions — receipts and acknowledgment letters.
- Medical and dental expenses (doctor, dentist, lab, Rx, hospital, long-term care) — limited to the amount exceeding your AGI floor. Do not include expenses reimbursed or paid by others.
- Health insurance premiums (including Marketplace) and HSA contributions (Form 5498-SA).
- Retirement plan contributions — IRA, 401(k), SEP, SIMPLE.
- Education — tuition statements (Form 1098-T) and student-loan interest (Form 1098-E).
- Child Tax Credit / Child & Dependent Care — provider name, address and tax ID.
- Earned Income Tax Credit & Saver’s Credit eligibility details.
- Estimated tax payments made (federal and state) and prior-year overpayment applied.
- Casualty/theft losses, gambling losses, or other itemized deductions.
Self-employment & business income (Schedule C)
- Gross receipts — sales, 1099-K/NEC, and a summary of all income received.
- Expenses by category — see our small-business deduction list (vehicle, home office, supplies, insurance, professional services, advertising, etc.).
- Vehicle expenses — actual costs or standard mileage log, including business/total miles.
- Home office — square footage used for business vs. total home square footage, plus rent/utilities/insurance/repairs.
- Asset purchases & disposals (Section 179 / depreciation) and inventory value at year-end.
State return (GA-1040)
- Last year’s Georgia return, and any GA estimated payments made.
- Georgia withholdings shown on your W-2s / 1099s.
- Residency changes or income earned in another state.
Compiled by
- Client name: ______________________________ Date: ______________
- Documents received: ______________________ Reviewed by ACH: ______________
Partnership Tax Checklist — Form 1065
For multi-member partnerships and LLCs taxed as partnerships. Each partner receives a Schedule K-1.
General items & prior return
Please update us with any new information this tax year.
- Last year’s Federal and State returns — both the partnership return and the partners’ personal returns.
- Full legal names, SSNs and addresses for every partner, plus any dependents.
- Percent ownership, ownership acquisition date and distribution details for all partners and owners.
- EIN, entity formation date, and Georgia registration / annual report.
- Partnership agreement and any amendments (profit/loss sharing, capital accounts).
- Ownership changes during the year — new partners, buy-outs, redemptions.
Financial statements & bookkeeping records
- Current financial statements — profit & loss statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows.
- General ledger listing the contents of every expense category you plan to deduct.
- Journal entries and year-end adjusting entries.
- Bank statements for every business account (monthly, for the full year).
- Trial balance and a reconciliation of the books to the bank accounts.
Income records
- All 1099 forms — 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-K, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV.
- W-2s for any partners on payroll and for the spouse(s), if applicable.
- Annual and quarterly income statements; all gross receipts / sales records.
- Interest, dividend and rental income earned by the partnership.
- Gain/loss detail on asset sales (computers, vehicles, equipment, property).
- Any other income statement, including state and local refunds.
Expenses & deductions
- Expense sheet by category — vehicle, home office, professional services, insurance, repairs, supplies, advertising, meals, travel.
- Vehicle expenses — actual cost or standard mileage, with a business-use log.
- Home office — office square footage vs. total home square footage and the related direct/indirect expenses.
- Depreciation schedules, Section 179 elections and asset purchase invoices.
- Guaranteed payments to partners and retirement plan contributions.
- Business-use percentage for mixed-use assets; inventory at year-end (beginning and ending).
Partnership-specific & tax payments
- Estimated tax payments — all state, federal, property and local payments made during the year.
- Prior-year Schedule K-1s issued to partners and basis tracking for each partner.
- Each partner’s capital account statement (beginning balance, contributions, distributions, ending balance).
- Payroll reports (940/941) and state unemployment filings, if the partnership has employees.
- Sales & use tax returns and any state withholding for non-resident partners.
State return (GA-600 / composite)
- Last year’s Georgia partnership return (Form 600 / 600S) and GA estimated payments.
- Georgia apportionment information if the partnership operates in multiple states.
- Non-resident partner details for withholding or composite filing.
Compiled by
- Client name: ______________________________ Date: ______________
- Documents received: ______________________ Reviewed by ACH: ______________
S Corporation Tax Checklist — Form 1120-S
For S-Corporations and LLCs taxed as S-Corps. Shareholders receive a Schedule K-1; owners on payroll receive a W-2.
General items & prior return
Please update us with any new information this tax year.
- Last year’s Federal and State returns — the 1120-S and the shareholders’ personal returns.
- Full legal names, SSNs and addresses for all shareholders, officers and any dependents.
- Percent ownership, ownership acquisition date and distribution details for each shareholder.
- EIN, incorporation date, Georgia registration and current annual report.
- S-Election form (Form 2553) and the shareholder basis / stock & debt schedule.
- Any ownership or officer changes during the year.
Employee & payroll information
- Employee W-2s (collected from the payroll provider, e.g. Gusto) with detail/copies for the file.
- Form 1099s issued to contractors, showing total payouts; plus contractor W-9s.
- Owner/shareholder W-2s for reasonable compensation paid.
- Payroll reports (940/941), state unemployment and withholding filings.
- Health insurance premiums paid on behalf of shareholders (reported on W-2).
Financial statements & bookkeeping records
- Current financial statements — profit & loss, balance sheet and cash-flow statement.
- General ledger showing every expense category you plan to deduct.
- Bank statements — monthly statements for the full year, for every account.
- Income statements — quarterly tax payments and annual income statements; ensure all income is reported.
- Year-end trial balance and bank reconciliations.
Income records
- All 1099 forms — 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-K, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV.
- All gross receipts / sales records and annual income statements.
- Interest, dividend and rental income earned by the corporation.
- Gain/loss detail on asset disposals.
- Shareholder loans (to/from the corporation) and repayments.
- Any other income and state/local refunds.
Expenses & owner records
- Expense sheet detailing the necessary business expenses for the owner/company — include all business-related expenses.
- Vehicle expenses — actual costs or standard mileage, with a business-use log.
- Home office — office square footage vs. total square footage and related expenses.
- Depreciation schedules, Section 179 elections and asset purchase invoices.
- Officer compensation, distributions and any shareholder advances.
- Inventory at year-end (beginning and ending) and cost of goods sold detail.
Estimated tax payments & S-Corp specifics
- Estimated tax payments — all state, federal, property and local payments made during the year.
- Prior-year Schedule K-1s issued to shareholders and shareholder basis calculations.
- Retirement plan contributions (SEP / SIMPLE / 401(k)) for owner-employees.
- Reasonable-compensation analysis and any accountable-plan reimbursements.
- Sales & use tax returns and state withholding for non-resident shareholders.
State return (GA-600S / composite)
- Last year’s Georgia S-Corp return (Form 600S) and GA estimated payments.
- Georgia apportionment information if operating in multiple states.
- Non-resident shareholder details for withholding or composite filing.
Compiled by
- Client name: ______________________________ Date: ______________
- Documents received: ______________________ Reviewed by ACH: ______________
C Corporation Tax Checklist — Form 1120
For C-Corporations taxed as separate entities at the flat 21% corporate rate. Shareholders receive a Form 1099-DIV, not a K-1.
General items & prior return
Please update us with any new information this tax year.
- Last year’s Federal and State returns — the Form 1120 and the shareholders’ personal returns.
- Full legal names, SSNs and addresses for all shareholders and officers.
- Stock ownership records — number of shares, class of stock, percent ownership and acquisition dates per shareholder.
- EIN, state of incorporation, incorporation date, and Georgia registration / annual report.
- Articles of incorporation, bylaws and any amendments.
- Any ownership, officer or director changes during the year; mergers, acquisitions or reorganizations.
- Dividend distributions paid to shareholders and any prior-year accumulated earnings / profits balances.
Employee & payroll information
- Employee W-2s with detail/copies for the file.
- Form 1099s issued to contractors, showing total payouts; plus contractor W-9s.
- Officer compensation details and any fringe benefits provided.
- Payroll reports (940/941), state unemployment and withholding filings.
- Retirement / pension plan contributions (401(k), SEP, SIMPLE, defined benefit).
Financial statements & bookkeeping records
- Current financial statements — profit & loss, balance sheet and statement of cash flows, plus journal entries and year-end adjusting entries.
- General ledger detailing the contents of every expense category you plan to deduct.
- Bank statements — monthly statements for the full year, for every account.
- Year-end trial balance and bank / investment reconciliations.
- Prior 3 years’ financial statements (if requested for corporate analysis).
Income records
- All 1099 forms — 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-K, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV.
- All gross receipts / sales records and annual income statements.
- Interest, dividend and rental income; other investment income.
- Gain/loss detail on asset disposals (Form 4797 / Schedule D).
- Shareholder and intercompany loans (to/from the corporation).
- Any other income and state / local refunds received.
Expenses & corporate deductions
- Expense sheet by category — vehicle, home office (if applicable), professional services, insurance, repairs, supplies, advertising, meals, travel and officer compensation.
- Vehicle expenses — actual costs or standard mileage, with a business-use log.
- Depreciation schedules, Section 179 elections and asset purchase invoices.
- Charitable contributions and corporate gifts.
- Inventory at year-end (beginning and ending) and cost of goods sold detail.
- Research & development costs, plus any Section 179D / energy credits.
Corporate tax items & payments
- Estimated tax payments — all federal (Form 1120-W), state, property and local payments made during the year.
- Prior-year Form 1120, carryforwards (net operating losses, capital losses, credits) and depreciation schedules.
- Form 1099-DIV issued to shareholders / details of dividends paid.
- Accumulated Earnings & Profits (E&P) calculation and reasonable-compensation support for officers.
- Sales & use tax returns, franchise tax and any state withholding.
- Foreign operations / ownership (Forms 5471, 5472) or transfer-pricing information, if applicable.
State return (GA-600)
- Last year’s Georgia corporate return (Form 600) and GA estimated payments.
- Georgia apportionment & allocation information if operating in multiple states.
- Net worth / franchise tax information and Georgia annual registration.
Compiled by
- Client name: ______________________________ Date: ______________
- Documents received: ______________________ Reviewed by ACH: ______________
Not sure which list applies to you?
If you are taxed as an entity type not listed here (for example a C-Corporation or a sole proprietorship), or you are unsure of your classification, contact our office and we will send the right checklist. These lists are a guide, not tax advice.