Who must file & How to Prepare for Taxes 

Most U.S. citizens or permanent residents who work in the U.S. have to file a tax return.

Generally, you need to file if:

• Your income is over the filing requirement
• You have over $400 in net earnings from self-employment (side jobs or other independent work)
• You had other situations that require you to file

It might pay you to file even if you don’t have to.

Income amount that requires you to file

If you were under 65 at the end of 2023

You may want to file a return even if you made less to get a refund of taxes your employer withheld from your pay.

If you were 65 or older at the end of 2023

Dependents

Use this table if your parent or someone else can claim you as a dependent:

Earned income: Salaries, wages, tips, professional fees, and taxable scholarship and fellowship grants.

Unearned income: Taxable interest, ordinary dividends, and capital gain distributions, unemployment compensation, taxable Social Security benefits, pensions, annuities and distributions of unearned income from a trust.

Gross income: Earned plus unearned income.

You can also answer questions to find out if you need to file.

Dependents who are blind:

Use this table if your parent or someone else can claim you as a dependent and you’re blind.

If you’re still not sure if you need to file

See if you need to file: answer questions to find out

File even if you don’t have to

Even if you make less than the income that requires you to file, consider filing anyway. You may get money back.

• If you qualify for a refundable tax credit
• If your paycheck had federal income tax withheld
• If you made estimated tax payments

How to Prepare for Taxes 

Personal Information

Tax Identification Numbers are mandatory items on your checklist. All taxpayers will need the following to do their taxes.

• Your social security number or tax ID number
• Your spouse’s full name, social security number or tax ID number, and date of birth
• Identity Protection PIN, if one has been issued to you, your spouse, or your dependent by the IRS
• Routing and account numbers to receive your refund by direct deposit or pay your balance due if you choose
• Foreign reporting and residency information – if applicable

Dependent(s) Information

Parents and caregivers should gather this information as they review what they need to file their taxes.

• Dates of birth and social security numbers or tax ID numbers
• Childcare records (including the provider’s tax ID number) if applicable
• Income of dependents and of other adults in your home
• Form 8332 showing that the child’s custodial parent is releasing their right to claim a child to you, the noncustodial parent (if applicable)

Sources of Income

Many of these forms won’t be needed to file taxes every year. For example, you will only receive the investment forms you may need to file your taxes if you had distributions or other activity.

• Employed: Forms W-2
• Unemployed: Unemployment (1099-G)
• Self-Employed: Forms 1099, Schedules K-1,
• income records to verify amounts not reported on 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC
• Records of all expenses — check registers or credit card statements, and receipts
• Business-use asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation
• Office in home information, if applicable
• Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040–ES)
• Rental Income
• Records of income and expenses
• Rental asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation
• Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040–ES)
• Retirement Income
• Pension/IRA/annuity income (1099-R)
• Traditional IRA basis (i.e., amounts you contributed to the IRA that were already taxed)
• Social security/RRB income: SSA-1099, RRB-1099
• Savings & Investments or Dividends
• Interest, dividend income (1099-INT, 1099-OID, 1099-DIV)
• Income from sales of stock or other property (1099-B, 1099-S)
• Dates of acquisition and records of your cost or other basis in property you sold (if basis is not reported on 1099-B)
• Health Savings Account and long-term care reimbursements (1099-SA or 1099-LTC)
• Expenses related to your investments
• Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040–ES)
• Transactions involving cryptocurrency (Virtual currency)
• Other Income & Losses
• Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions – 1099-K
• Gambling income (W-2G or records showing income, as well as expense records)
• Jury duty records
• Hobby income and expenses
• Prizes and awards
• Trust income
• Royalty Income 1099–MISC
• Any other 1099sreceived
• Record of alimony paid/received with ex-spouse’s name and SSN
• State tax refund

Types of Deductions

The types of deductions you can take depend a lot on your life situation. It’s likely you won’t need all of the documents listed below for your taxes.

• Home and Vehicle Ownership
• Forms 1098 or other mortgage interest statements
• Real estate and personal property tax records
• Receipts for energy-saving home improvements (e.g., solar panels, solar water heater)
• Electric vehicle information
• All other 1098 series forms
• Charitable Donations
• Cash amounts donated to houses of worship, schools, other charitable organizations
• Records of non-cash charitable donations
• Amounts of miles driven for charitable or medical purposes
• Medical Expenses
• Amounts paid for healthcare, insurance, and to doctors, dentists, and hospitals
• Amounts paid for qualified insurance premiums if paid outside of the Marketplace or an employer provided plan
• Health Insurance
• Form 1095-A if you enrolled in an insurance plan through the Marketplace (Exchange)
• Childcare Expenses
• Fees paid to a licensed day care center or family day care for care of an infant or preschooler
• Amounts paid to a baby-sitter or provider care of your child under age 13 while you work
• Expenses paid through a dependent care flexible spending account at work
• Educational Expenses
• Forms 1098-T from educational institutions
• Receipts that itemize qualified educational expenses
• Records of any scholarships or fellowships you received
• Form 1098-E if you paid student loan interest
• K-12 Educator Expenses
• Receipts for classroom expenses (for educators in grades K-12)
• State and Local Taxes
• Amount of state and local income or sales tax paid (other than wage withholding)
• Invoice showing amount of vehicle sales tax paid and / or personal property tax on vehicles
• Retirement & Other Savings
• Form 5498-SA showing HSA contributions
• Form 5498 showing IRA contributions
• All other 5498 series forms (5498-QA, 5498-ESA)
• Federally Declared Disaster
• City/county you lived/worked/had property in
• Records to support property losses (appraisal, clean-up costs, etc.)
• Records of rebuilding/repair costs
• Insurance reimbursements/claims to be paid
• FEMA assistance information

Check the FEMA website to see if your county has been declared a federal disaster area