gathering documents for tax prep - what am I missing?

[chiver78]

I have an appointment with my CPA next Friday, but was told that I can scan/email her all my docs ahead of time and my appointment will be to go through everything that she will have all prepped and I will sign/pay her that day rather than having to go back a 2nd time like I used to. I no longer live or work anywhere near her office, so I'm doing this!!  that said, I typically end up leaving that initial visit with a "things to forward later" list of stuff I have forgotten.

2015's return is going to be more complicated than usual b/c I bought a house and changed jobs.
so, smart folks of YMAM, what's missing from this list? thanks in advance!


Income:
-W2 company #1
-W2 company #2
-savings interest - 4 savings accounts (I know...ugh)
-e-trade 1099 (?) from ESPP transactions
-401K earnings?

Deductions above and beyond W2 stuff:
-mortgage interest
-HUD sheet, fees, etc
-EZPass letter of tax deductible tolls
-forms from gifting a vehicle in early 2015
- receipts for charitable donations (although this year, I might actually just take the standard deduction. I definitely don't have everything)

misc:
-1099-HC company #1
-1099-HC company #2

[mroped]

A stiff drink to keep you from going nuts!

[chiver78]

ha. a couple house parties that required the use of my kitchen counter space where these docs collect during January are the reason I don't have all of this buttoned-up already. also missing is the checklist the CPA sends out with the appointment reminder. so if I find that envelope, this thread is unnecessary.

but yes, I will be pouring a glass of something tonight when I start pulling stuff together. I've already located a few pdfs on my laptop here, so that's a plus!

[Deleted]

The only thing I have that isn't on your list is the 1099G from our state refund.  I realize I am a bad YMer and not everyone gets one of those. 

[Deleted]

My accountant sends me a nice 'organization checklist maybe there is something like it online if your accountant doesn't have one?

[TheOtherMe]

Every place I ever worked sent an organizer or a checklist.  I'm sure there checklists online.

[alabamagal]

Actually yours doesn't sound so bad. I had a lot of the same things, plus we closed a business (just rent and utilities for a couple months). I also just realized that I changed jobs (and states) in Jan, but my last paycheck from my previous employer in GA was on Jan 1, 2015. So 2 state returns. Plus 1 kid in college.

[chiver78]

Feb 23, 2016 19:02:50 GMT -5 @pooks said:

The only thing I have that isn't on your list is the 1099G from our state refund.  I realize I am a bad YMer and not everyone gets one of those. 

what is that?  although, now that I think about it, for at least the last 5 or 6 years, my "balance owed" to the Commonwealth of MA has been $4. so that wouldn't come with any "earned" income.


to those that have mentioned a checklist, I have one in the house.....somewhere. it arrived with my appointment detail over a month ago, I already called to reschedule the day of the week for my appt. but - we had people over for one of the playoff games, and the counter area that is the mail drop turns into the bar. so whatever docs were already here got moved to the office, wait for it - that got packed up and shoved into one corner of the room when the contractors came last week to blow insulation into the rafters.

I guess I was just looking for a sanity check for the big things that might be missing. another one came to mind on my drive home, and I'll edit my OP to include it - whatever form from my 401K. I'm pretty sure I've gotten them before.

[Deleted]

I wish I could be more helpful but I never remember everything to get without my checklist and I haven't cracked it open yet

[chiver78]

lmao, that's why I started this today - if I'm only going once, I need to make sure I send her everything ahead of time. I'm actually going to ask her to lmk what might be missing. my return is usually the same every year with slight tweaks to the overall numbers. this year, there's a bunch of changes.....but I'm pretty sure I have the changes covered in my OP. it's the other shit that I'm likely to forget.

[Deleted]

I often have to email a page or two I forgot or got wrong. She earns her nice fee

[wvugurl26]

I guess property taxes are on the mortgage statement probably? Don't know if Massachusetts has personal property taxes? That's all I can think of.

[chiver78]

property taxes are escrowed per the terms of my mortgage, so they are on that statement. I guess I don't know what "personal" property tax would be, other than in owning land/homes. MA has that and income tax, that's it.

[justme]

Personal property tax is that some states tax your car, boat, who knows what else every year.

[chiver78]

ooh, yes. we have excise tax here. I have paid the minimum for long enough now that I forgot about it (and don't need the receipt), but I bought a new car last Feb. will add the excise tax bill to the list. thank you!

[busymom]

A portion of license tab fees are deductible on state taxes here. Of course, they may do things differently where you live.

[whoisjohngalt]

Feb 23, 2016 21:32:28 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

property taxes are escrowed per the terms of my mortgage, so they are on that statement. I guess I don't know what "personal" property tax would be, other than in owning land/homes. MA has that and income tax, that's it.

whatever you paid for your car registrations. 

and make sure you have ACA papers

[chiver78]

Feb 24, 2016 1:08:56 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Feb 23, 2016 21:32:28 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

property taxes are escrowed per the terms of my mortgage, so they are on that statement. I guess I don't know what "personal" property tax would be, other than in owning land/homes. MA has that and income tax, that's it.

whatever you paid for your car registrations. 

and make sure you have ACA papers

registrations? I've never been asked for that before.

ACA stuff is the 1099-HCs. I've needed those for awhile being in MA.

[whoisjohngalt]

Feb 24, 2016 8:20:13 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Feb 24, 2016 1:08:56 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

whatever you paid for your car registrations. 

and make sure you have ACA papers

registrations? I've never been asked for that before.

ACA stuff is the 1099-HCs. I've needed those for awhile being in MA.

you know, the $$ you pay to your town for your car.  Isn't it called registration?

[chiver78]

Feb 24, 2016 9:09:18 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Feb 24, 2016 8:20:13 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

registrations? I've never been asked for that before.

ACA stuff is the 1099-HCs. I've needed those for awhile being in MA.

you know, the $$ you pay to your town for your car.  Isn't it called registration?

well, the registration is the paper form I keep in the glove box. that's $$ to the state, a fixed price per vehicle. the $$ to the town is excise tax, and it varies based on the value of the car.

excise tax is a deduction, but I've never heard of the registration being a deduction. is it different in NH?

[wvugurl26]

I think in some states registration price varies based on vehicle value? In those cases I believe it can be deductible. In flat fee situations it is not.

[chiver78]

interesting, I didn't know that. do those states not have excise tax then? in MA it is two separate things.

and in that case, does the registration still go to the state? it's state-issued license plates, so...?

[wvugurl26]

Feb 24, 2016 9:25:40 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

interesting, I didn't know that. do those states not have excise tax then? in MA it is two separate things.

and in that case, does the registration still go to the state? it's state-issued license plates, so...?

It's the same in WV. I believe in those cases it still goes to the state, it's just a variable rate based on value. In those situations where the registration is based on value, it's deductible. Some states do not have what you know as excise and what I grew up calling personal property taxes.

[whoisjohngalt]

Feb 24, 2016 9:17:21 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Feb 24, 2016 9:09:18 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

you know, the $$ you pay to your town for your car.  Isn't it called registration?

well, the registration is the paper form I keep in the glove box. that's $$ to the state, a fixed price per vehicle. the $$ to the town is excise tax, and it varies based on the value of the car.

excise tax is a deduction, but I've never heard of the registration being a deduction. is it different in NH?

I get the bill from the town for both, state and town.  So, I just use the entire amount. 

[TheOtherMe]

In my state, the deduction for the car registration is a calculation.  I have to read the instructions every year.

In Colorado, my car was old enough that it was $3.  When I prepared returns in Colorado, we made people show us the registration and the deductible amount was clearly shown and it wasn't the total amount paid.

[chiver78]

ohhkay, so I can't find the HUD sheet from closing last year. I knew I hadn't filed it where it's supposed to go b/c that box was buried forever. I saw it when I was packing up the office for the contractors, but unless I pretty much put the office back together to unearth it, I'm not finding it tonight. given that I need to finish patching/sanding/painting first, that's not going to happen.

so, what do I do? would my attorney (I signed everything at his office) be able to send me a scan of it? I'm kind of at a loss right now. I would think they keep copies of everything, that shouldn't be too difficult, right?

[taz157]

You could also ask the title company or the company that handled the closing itself.  You could also try your loan officer too.

[Ombud]

I look it up for all accounts I do, people always over state the amount that's tax deductible. On CA it's : dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/FeeCalculatorWeb/vlfForm.do

I also look up property taxes, but clients know I'll do that for date pd

[chiver78]

Feb 24, 2016 22:35:36 GMT -5 Ombud said:

I look it up for all accounts I do, people always over state the amount that's tax deductible. On CA it's : dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/FeeCalculatorWeb/vlfForm.do

I also look up property taxes, but clients know I'll do that for date pd

you look what up, where? I've always used HUD sheet numbers in years where I needed them. I'm not trying to game the system at all.

[Ombud]

Once the client signs authorization for me to look it up, go to
♤ COUNTY
♡ ASSESSOR
◇ Property tax history

Did you know it's also on Zillow?


Cannot get interest, dividends, brokerage, IRA / Roth contributions, charity, sole proprietor info, W2s, ect