3. Gather your documents
You already received all the various tax documents that you need from your employer or employers, as well as from banks, brokerage firms, and others with whom you do business. So, for each form, check that the information matches your own records.
Below are some of the most common forms:
- Form W-2, if you had a job
- The various 1099 forms that report other income you received, such as dividends (Form 1099-DIV), interest (Form 1099-INT), and non-employee compensation paid to independent contractors (Form 1099-MISC). Brokers aren’t required to mail Form 1099-B, which reports gains and losses on securities transactions, until mid-February, so those may come a little later.
- Form 1098, reporting any mortgage interest you paid
- Form W-2G, if you had certain gambling winnings
