To guarantee a successful trip to my office, you'll need to do some preparation beforehand. The following is a list of the five major areas you need to consider when gathering W2s, receipts and invoices to bring with you to my office.
Identification
Driver's License, passport, military I.D. -- any of those should work just fine.
Proof of Income
Earned income (salary and wages from a job) and unearned income (Social Security and retirement benefits, alimony, interest and dividends, etc.). If you're not sure, ask me -- I'll let you know.
Proof of Expenses
This is why I tell you to keep your receipts. The biggest deductions often come in the form of business expenses and we will need to prove those with receipts.
Proof of Disaster, Theft and other Unexpected Losses
There are several provisions in the tax code designed to help out folks who are victims of unexpected and expensive losses of property or cash.
Payment Method
If you belong to the lucky 23 percent of taxpayers who owe money to the IRS on April 15, then you should come prepared to make a payment.