The short answer
Bring a photo ID, last year's federal and North Carolina returns, and every income form you received (W-2s, 1099s, Social Security statements). Add records for anything you want to deduct, plus business or rental records if they apply. If something is missing, bring what you have; we'll tell you what else we need.
Everyone
- Photo ID for you (and your spouse, if filing jointly)
- Social Security cards or ITIN letters for everyone on the return
- Last year's federal and North Carolina returns (new clients)
- Your bank routing and account number for direct deposit
- Your IRS Identity Protection PIN, if you have one
- Any letters from the IRS or the NC Department of Revenue
Worth doing before you come in: set up your IRS online account with ID.me. It lets you see what the IRS has on file for you, and we can go through it together at your appointment. → Your IRS Online Account
Income
- W-2s from every employer
- 1099-NEC or 1099-K for freelance, gig or side-business income
- 1099-INT and 1099-DIV for interest and dividends
- 1099-B for investment sales
- 1099-R for retirement account and pension distributions
- SSA-1099 for Social Security benefits
- 1099-G for unemployment or state refunds
- Schedule K-1s from partnerships, S corporations or trusts
Deductions and credits
- Form 1098 for mortgage interest
- Property tax records
- Receipts for charitable donations
- Form 1098-T for college tuition and 1098-E for student loan interest
- Child care provider name, address, tax ID and amount paid
- Form 1095-A if you had Marketplace health insurance
- Records of estimated tax payments you made (federal and North Carolina)
Got most of it? That's enough to get started.
Related service: Tax Preparation in Shelby
If you own a business
- Income records: sales reports, 1099-NEC and 1099-K forms
- Expense records: receipts, bank and credit card statements
- Mileage log for business use of your vehicle
- Payroll reports, if you have employees
- Your QuickBooks file or bookkeeping reports, if you use them
- Records of equipment you bought or sold
If you own rental property
- Rent received for each property
- Expenses: repairs, insurance, property management, utilities
- Mortgage interest (Form 1098) and property tax for each property
- Purchase records for any property bought during the year
Can't come in?
Upload your documents through our secure client portal instead, and meet with us by phone or video call. Please don't send tax documents or Social Security numbers by regular email or through website forms.
Official sources
This guide is general information, not advice for your situation. Tax rules change; check with us or the official source before acting.