Ding ding ding! Open season on 2021 tax filing has officially begun, and we’re already rolling up our sleeves and getting to work on tax returns for some of our Washington clients.
With all the backlog and changes at the IRS, getting ahead of the tax storm is going to make for much smoother sailing come springtime. Imagine this scenario with me for a moment:
It’s the day before the tax deadline on April 18th. People around you are doing a mad scramble to get everything finalized by the deadline. My phone and inbox are wildly overheating. But I’m happy because I know that you are out there, enjoying the calm our services provided for you — sipping on something delicious and enjoying the turn of spring.
How good will it feel to know you took care of business a month or two before? (Keep me in your thoughts when that time comes.)
This is why we’re here! To help you process tax season.
But our schedule will fill up quickly. Grab a time with us, so we can get things started:
calendly.com/ruperttax
Now that you’ve got a sense of urgency about booking your appointment with us, let’s discuss exactly which 2021 tax documents you’ll need to pull together for your appointment.
Ryan Rupert’s List of 2021 Tax Documents Needed for Filing
“What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork.” – Pearl Bailey
Hey, anybody can just file a tax return – the trick is to file an accurate one. And believe it or not, the filing doesn’t have to be agony if you’re properly prepared with your 2021 tax documents in hand when you arrive (and you’ve got someone to help you through it).
This year, that might be more important than ever.
And we’re off
Tax season officially began on January 24th and will *end* on April 18th this year.
As I mentioned, there’s a lot to be said for getting your return filed as early as possible. The IRS is behind on processing millions of last year’s returns (we kid you not). Plus, this year you may have to hand in paperwork for the Child Tax Credit, stimulus payments, unemployment benefits, and other potential oddities from the pandemic.
So, the sooner we can help you get your federal return filed, the sooner you can get that refund or any leftover stimulus money into your pocket. We want you to get everything you have coming (in a good way) under our Tax Code.
Here are the 2021 tax documents you need to bring. Not all of them will apply to you – probably MOST will not – but it’s a very useful checklist. Most of these documents will come through the mail or will be made available digitally for you to download.
It’s a long list – it’s the unfortunate reality of our tax code that it’s not even comprehensive. But these items will cover 95% of our Washington clients. And we’d be happy to help you sort out which items on the list you’ll need.
(Even if you won’t be using our cost-effective services this year – and we hope you do – please use this list as a helpful guide…)
So, here we go…
Personal
Social Security numbers (including spouse, children, and other dependents)
Residential address(es) for 2021
Childcare provider tax I.D. or Social Security number
Dates of birth
Type of dependent relationship (i.e. son, step-son, grandson, nephew, not related, etc.)
Last year’s or most recent federal and state tax returns (if not on file)
Employment & Income
(many of these documents start with “1099”)
IRS letters showing how much you received in stimulus (Letter 6475)
Advanced Child Tax Credit payments (Letter 6419)
Any other tax credit information for 2021
W-2 forms for this year (“Wage and Tax Statement”)
Tax refunds and unemployment compensation (1099-G, “Certain Government Payments”)
Miscellaneous income including rent (1099-NEC and/or 1099-MISC)
Partnership, S-Corp, and trust income (K-1)
Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099/1042S)
Pensions and annuities, retirement income (1099-R)
Brokerage statements (1099-B)
Alimony received (for divorce settlements executed before Jan 1, 2019)
Jury duty pay
Gambling and lottery winnings (W-2G)
Prizes and awards
Scholarships and fellowships
Cryptocurrency sales (including “coin-to-coin” trades) – report of any crypto activity
Homeowner/Renter Data
Mortgage interest (Form 1098)
Sale of your home or other real estate (Form 1099-S)
Second mortgage interest paid (if you don’t rent that property or rent it only under specific conditions – check with us)
Real estate taxes paid
Rent paid during the tax year
Moving expenses (if active military and moving for new orders)
Reimbursements for moving (counts as ordinary income)
Personal property tax information
Financial Assets
Interest income (1099-INT & 1099-OID)
Dividend and distribution income (1099-DIV)
Proceeds from broker transactions (1099-B)
Capital gains or losses
Financial Liabilities
Auto loans and leases (account numbers and car value) if vehicle used for business
Student loan interest paid
Early withdrawal penalties on certificates of deposit CDs and other fixed time deposits
PPP loan (or multiple PPP loans) – date(s), amount(s) received, and whether or not you’ve already received forgiveness of the debt(s)
EIDL grant – date and amount received
EIDL loan – date, amount received, and current balance due
Automobiles
Personal property tax information
Department of Motor Vehicles fees
Expenses
Unreimbursed expenses related to volunteer work
Health insurance information (Form 1095-C for Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage)
Investment expenses
Job-hunting expenses
Childcare expenses
Medical savings accounts
Adoption expenses
Department of Motor Vehicles fees
Self-Employment (SE)
Estimated tax vouchers for the current year
Estimated SE tax paid in 2021
SE retirement plans(s) information
SE health insurance premiums
Receipts or documentation for business-related expenses
Farm income
Deductions
Gifts to charity
State and local income taxes
Retirement plan(s) contributions
Medical expenses
Other miscellaneous deductions
Whew! Got all that? Yeah, we know… it’s a lot (maybe more than you need or not enough in some cases), but it’s a great jumping-off point.
And, if you get it together now, you can avoid the torrential downpour of tax season as we get further down the pike. And make all your Washington procrastinator friends jealous of the calm you’ll be enjoying while you sit back and sip on a cold one.
Now, it might take a little while to gather all of your 2021 tax documents, but don’t worry. Reach out to us with questions. We’re here to guide you through the process.
Although much has changed (again) this year, know that we’re on top of these changes and working hard for you.
To getting things done sooner rather than later,
Ryan Rupert
