Documents Needed to File Income Taxes - Turbotax tax tips video

Hello, I’m Lisa Skelly from Turbo Tax with information about the documents you may need when filing your federal income tax return. So you’ve finished your tax return and are ready to mail or e-file it to the IRS. But do you know which documents to include with your return? Believe it or not, the IRS doesn’t want copies of every document you use to prepare your taxes. The one document that the IRS always requires with your tax return is the W-2 form you receive from your employer. And if you have more than one job, you must include a W-2 for each one. When you work as an employee, your employer will report your annual compensation—which includes all wages, bonuses and tips you receive--on a W-2 form. The W-2 also reports the federal tax payments you make through employer withholding. And even though the IRS will receive copies of your W-2s directly from your employers, you still need to attach them to your return. In some cases, employers may inadvertently issue a W-2 that reports inaccurate information. When this occurs, they must correct it on a W-2c form. If you receive this second form from your employer, you should use the amounts it reports when preparing your tax return. However, the IRS wants to see copies of both versions, so it’s important to remember that you must file your return with a copy of the original W-2 as well as the corrected W-2c. But only include the amounts on your W-2c on your return. There are two additional forms you must include with your return— the W-2G and 1099-R—but only if they report amounts withheld to pay your taxes. If you have a W-2G, it means that you received certain types of gambling winnings. The 1099-R, however, is issued to report the distributions you receive from a pension, annuity, IRA, insurance contract and other retirement accounts. Generally, the form will report the amount and type of distribution you receive, and will also indicate whether it’s taxable. And last, but certainly not least— it’s just as important to remember to attach all schedules and tax forms that the IRS requires, such as a Schedule A form when reporting itemized deductions on your return. Not sure which form to use? When you file with TurboTax, you don’t need to know a thing about tax forms. We’ll ask you simple questions and determine the filing status and forms that will give you your biggest tax refund. For more information about income taxes visit TurboTax.com.