Taxes 101 What Tax Forms Do I Need to File My Tax Return? Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by Elle Martinez Published Mar 10, 2011 - [Updated Jul 8, 2019] 2 min read It can be hard to keep track of all your forms, but if you have a handy list on your fridge, you organize and save the documents as they come in. If you’re ready to file your taxes, here are some major tax forms you want to have ready. They’ll make a huge difference and in some cases, they can help you get a bigger tax refund. Important Tax Forms W-2s This is probably the most anticipated form during the tax season. Your employer should already sent this to you at the beginning of the year. This document is a record of your total income for the year as well as your federal state and local taxes paid so far. If you’ve have automatic deductions for your 401(k) at work, this amount will lower your taxable income. 1099s My husband and I received quite of bit of these documents this year. We have a few high interest savings accounts and earned a little bit of money for stashing it away. Banks are required to send you a 1099-INT so you can file that with your taxes since it is a form of income. I also do some freelance and contract work which means I get 1099s for the projects I’ve worked on this past year. It’s important for those self employed to keep thorough records throughout the year to make sure they catch everything that need come tax time. Here’s a checklist of what tax forms you need in order to file. 1098s For those paying mortgage interest, you should have received a statement or letter from your lender that shows the total interest paid in the last year. If you paid student loan interest, there’s a form just for you, the 1098-E. Thoughts on Tax Forms If you haven’t received any of the forms and you should, please call your employer, lender, whoever to get those important documents sent to you as soon as possible. If you’re preparing to file your taxes, tax preparation software like TurboTax can be a huge help in helping you fill out the correct forms for your tax situation. By going through an interview process, you’ll be guided to the right forms and the program will populate the information in the correct. It makes taxes less of a headache. You’ll have more time for things that matter to you. I’d like to hear your take on taxes. How are you filing your taxes this year? Previous Post Sick! Can I Deduct That? Deductible Medical Expenses Next Post Should You Take the Standard or Itemized Deduction? Written by Elle Martinez Elle helps families at Couple Money achieve financial freedom by sharing tips for reducing debt, increase income, and building net worth. Learn how to live on one income and have fun with the second. More from Elle Martinez Visit the website of Elle Martinez. Follow Elle Martinez on Facebook. Follow Elle Martinez on Twitter. 36 responses to “What Tax Forms Do I Need to File My Tax Return?” Hi, Me and my fiancee were wondering how we need to file our taxes, we have two small children and are living on the same property with my parents, my dad filed my son last year on his taxes due to neither me or my fiancee were working. But since then we have got our own place and were wondering how we should file and whatdocumentede should need to use turbo tax this year. we have u see HNR block previous years. thanks Reply Hi, my family are refugee, we came to US in August 2012,we got w-2 payments from government, and I have question: I have 4 children, can I and my wife apply for tax return??? I started work just in last year December 25 to now. Reply Hello Hafisa, and welcome to the US If you meet the IRS tests for residency in the US and have income, you can file a Form 1040 tax return using TurboTax. Resident aliens can use the same filing statuses as US citizens, and are generally entitled to the same exemptions and deductions. There are several ways you might meet the residency test; refer to IRS Publication 519. You will also need either an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) for yourself and each person in your family you can include on your tax return. There are many details, so refer to IRS Publication 519, Tax Guide for aliens at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf You can start with our free edition, but if you have any complex situations, you may be prompted to upgrade to a paid edition of TurboTax, either way, any needed state returns have an additional cost, and we’ll help you with prompts to complete your tax return. If you are a non-resident alien (meaning you are not a US citizen and do not meet the tests in IRS Pub 519, You need to use Form 1040-NR, which is not supported by TurboTax. However, you can use our CPA Select service, where an accredited and experienced professional will learn your situation, give you a cost estimate, and complete your Form 1040-NR for you. See https://turbotaxcpaselect.intuit.com/ We wish you the best Reply My children (ages 18 and 21) both work full time. If I let them file 1040EZ, will they still be allowed to be on my health insurance, or will they no longer be considered my dependents? Reply can i use turbo tax to file i have one dependent and a home, but my deductions are not in the standard range ,they are about 40000..so what form do i use to file hoh, 1 dependent. Reply My property taxes were paid on Feb. 1, 2013 and July 8 2013. My 1098 only reflects the July payment because we did a loan modifcation in Dec. 2012. Out mortgage company held the funds for our taxes but NOT in our escrow acct. Can I claim both payments since they were both paid in 2013? Reply The money for the feb. payment was NOT reflected on our 2012 1098 btw. This also happened to us in 2011. Can i file an amended tax return. I have my bills from the town stating they were paid. Reply My Wife and i have two small casino wins wich we did have taxes taken out by casino. I have have the two forms they gave us for said winnings. Do i still claim them? What form should i use? We usualy file 1040EZ. Married filling jointly. Reply Hi Albert, Yes you still have to claim them on your taxes. If you itemize you can also deduct your gambling losses up to your winnings. Don’t worry about what forms you need to use, TurboTax will put your information on the correct forms according to answers to simple questions. Happy filing! Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply Thanks Lisa. I received a SSA-1099 SSBS and want to know which form to use to get a refund? Reply Hello – This will be our first year of filing for our taxes having purchased a home. We also made some improvements on the home. Can you please tell me what documents we need in order to file? Reply Hi Lisa, Regarding the purchase of your home, you will receive a 1098 from your lender showing the mortgage interest you paid, which is deductible and it may show points paid by you as well which are also tax deductible. Your 1098 may also show property taxes paid if the property taxes are impounded in your payment, which are deductible. You should also have your closing statement from the purchase of your home, which will show any property taxes and points paid by you that may not appear on your 1098-int from your lender. I’m not sure about your specific tax situation, but you will need W-2s and 1099s for income you’ve received. TurboTax will ask you simple questions related to you and will give you the tax deductions and credits you deserve so it will prompt you for those deductible expenses. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply All I have is a house, and a student loan, what form do I use to file my taxes, do I file ? Irma R Reply Hi, I haven’t filed my 2012 taxes yet due to a fire in my condo community ( it was my next door neighbor’s unit that actually had the fire, but I was displaced twice during this set of circumstances. Once in the beginning because I was evacuated by fire marshal/building inspectors for safety reasons & then about a month later when fire restoration company had to come in to restore/clean up my unit due to smoke damage/water damage. During this process, fire restoration company came in , while I was evacuated to a hotel & packed up the entire contents of my home, including my w-2’s , with no consideration to order or organization, They literally turned my house upside down & I have just located my paperwork due to the unorganized manner in which they packed things…I am expecting a refund & I’d like to know how I can calculate what it might be & am I entitled to any hardship credits due to this & expenses I had to put out for hotel expenses, etc.? Also, I file head of house & have a child ( 5yrs. old ) & I am not married but support my son’s father who is disabled , but does NOT get any disability compensation…I usually claim myself & my minor son, but should I be claiming my son’s father( domestic partner/not married ) as well because he has no income & can’t work, plus I need him at home to care for our son because we don’t believe in paying a stranger to raise our son. I need to know how many I should be claiming to maximize my refund, I have 3 w-2’s from employment in 2012 so which form is right for me…1040EZ or 1040A? Also, we live paycheck to paycheck so I need to know what is the best/fastest/easiest way for me to file for 2012 & how can I estimate what my refund will be? It was a very bad year for us financially because where we were living at the time, the job market was dead & my earnings were just over 11,000.00…how can I e-file for free ( I have used Jackson Hewitt/ H&R Block in the past, but can not afford the service fee at this time…please advise me how I can do this myself in the fastest way possible where the filing fee, if I can’t get it for free, is deducted from the refund itself & be direct deposited to my bank….I need this money fast, like 6mo. ago!! Thank You in advance for any insight you can offer to assist me in getting this expedited ASAP! 🙂 Plus, please also advise on what I should do for filing 2013…I have applied for a grant to start online university classes to get my bachelors degree in health science…I am confused about the new laws & need some insight on which way to turn. I am overwhelmed in every way you can imagine & it seems like the more I research, the more I get confused by the plethora of information, contradictory information that is out there! Need some clarity, Thanks! With so much to deal with & do to keep my family afloat…in desperate need of guidance! I don’t want to do anything without making the ” informed ” decision that could potentially affect my family’s financial status in a negative way…need all we can get & are entitled to! Reply I babysat for a woman from February to June of this year. I made about $770.00 and she still owes me $183.00. I did not keep the best records, as it was a temporary will you help me out during this rough time and do it super cheap ($3.00 an hour). I have some timesheets, but not a lot of anything else. She paid in cash all but twice and neither her or I did receipts. Which forms do we need to fill out to claim the income I made? Also, can we write-off her past due amount? Reply I worked a seasonal job making less than $9200, Less than $500 for unemployment earnings. I own a home (approx. pd. $5000 in mortgage int.) and I have Oppenheimer and Primerica & Chase investments which have less than $300. in interest or dividends. Bank accounts with less than $10 interest. I have no other income earnings. Do I file a 1040EZ or a 1040A form? Thank You. Reply hi Deb. You are eligible to file Form 1040EZ since you’ll get more deduction by using standard deduction. Reply -Lisa- I received a 1099 Misc. form and was wondering if I needed to send it with my state taxes or federal or both…? Thank you for your assistance. Respectively Yours, -Erik- Reply Hi my name is Barbara and the question I have is my husband gets diablity ssa and I do some off work that i receive cash from people. How can I file this we have a child that is under 17 also. Not sure how to file can you please help. Thank You Barbara Reply I file a 1040 ecause I have a home with mortgage. I received a 1099C and was wondering were I put that on the form? unpaid credit balance. Reply Due to the death of my husband. I wasn’t able to file my 2010, 2011 taxes. Since we live on SS. We always filed easy. How do we get forms to file. Have used Turbotax for years. My DVD purchased for 2010 doesn’t work. Please help. Reply Hi Lisa, I was told that I could file a return and get up to $250 to $400 on a return and file up to 3 years ago on this one. Even if I haven’t worked. Is this true? LuvvinLacey Reply My husband and I usually file the 1040EZ, but we bought a house in Feb of 2012 and we wanted to know if we have to file with a different form? Please let me know! Thank you! Reply Hi Casey, Congratulations on purchasing a home. You should be able to get a nice deduction for that. You will not file 1040EZ, but there’s no need to worry you can still start for free and TurboTax will ask you the appropriate questions necessary to fill out the correct from. You don’t need to worry about which form to fill out TurboTax does everything for you and if you have a question you can ask our tax experts for free. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply We did our taxes with another company last year. This year we are using TurboTax. We have misplaced our 2010’s, how necessary is it that we have them? Reply Hi Cassie, You can still file. You just need to know if you itemized your deductions and if you received a state refund in 2010, you have to claim that amount on your 2011 taxes. You should receive a 1099 for that amount though so you should be OK. You also need to know any previous carry over amounts like any capital losses(from selling stock or real estate losses) that are carrying over. If you already started amortizing points paid on real estate you want to take that into account as well. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply Can I file a 1040EZ if I have a 1099 MISC (and meet all other 1040EZ requirements)? thanks Reply I efiled my tax return with turbo tax, only to realize I didn’t enter my IRA contribution, I followed the instructions and ammended my return. What papers do I need to mail in with the ammended return? Reply whatt forms do i need to send in to get my tax return… we went to lcc and they had tax help there they did it on the computer idk if we send the w2s or what? Reply If my wife has a 1099 and has expenses against it as well, gas, supplies, ect.., which turbo tax do I need? Thank you. Reply Hi Brad, She should use the Deluxe product. She will be guided through income and expense items that go on schedule C. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply I have already e-filed my return & was rejected because of error onsch.F. How do i correct and resend? Thanks. Reply Hi Edon, You can go back into your tax return, go to the tools button on the far right, search topics, input form schedule F. The program will bring you to the interview section of the return so can change the information. If that doesn’t work you can go to your home tab, scroll down on the left, click delete a form, and all the forms in your tax return will show up. Then you can delete the form and correct the information. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply i filed tax form 1040ez .was rejected. should have filed 1040a can i stll file 1040a? Reply Hi Tunisia, You have to look at the rejection code that you were given. This should tell you the specifics regarding why it was rejected. Basically, you can file 1040EZ as long as you earn under $100,000, your interest income is under $1,500, and you do not claim any dependents. Yes, you can still file Form 1040A if you need to. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Crypto Understanding Crypto and Capital Gains Work 7 Things You Need to Know About the New Business Report… Work Using Form 8829 to Write-Off Business Use of Your Home Tax Tips Roth 403(b) vs. Roth IRA: Which Should You Invest In? Life Interest Rates, Inflation, and Your Taxes Investments Essential Tax Tips for Maximizing Investment Gains Uncategorized TurboTax is Partnering with Saweetie to Elevate Hoop Dr… Business Small Business Owners: Optimize Your Taxes with a Mid-Y… Small Business The Benefits of Employing Your Children and the Tax Bre… Income and Investments Are Olympics Winnings Taxed?
Hi, Me and my fiancee were wondering how we need to file our taxes, we have two small children and are living on the same property with my parents, my dad filed my son last year on his taxes due to neither me or my fiancee were working. But since then we have got our own place and were wondering how we should file and whatdocumentede should need to use turbo tax this year. we have u see HNR block previous years. thanks Reply
Hi, my family are refugee, we came to US in August 2012,we got w-2 payments from government, and I have question: I have 4 children, can I and my wife apply for tax return??? I started work just in last year December 25 to now. Reply
Hello Hafisa, and welcome to the US If you meet the IRS tests for residency in the US and have income, you can file a Form 1040 tax return using TurboTax. Resident aliens can use the same filing statuses as US citizens, and are generally entitled to the same exemptions and deductions. There are several ways you might meet the residency test; refer to IRS Publication 519. You will also need either an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) for yourself and each person in your family you can include on your tax return. There are many details, so refer to IRS Publication 519, Tax Guide for aliens at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf You can start with our free edition, but if you have any complex situations, you may be prompted to upgrade to a paid edition of TurboTax, either way, any needed state returns have an additional cost, and we’ll help you with prompts to complete your tax return. If you are a non-resident alien (meaning you are not a US citizen and do not meet the tests in IRS Pub 519, You need to use Form 1040-NR, which is not supported by TurboTax. However, you can use our CPA Select service, where an accredited and experienced professional will learn your situation, give you a cost estimate, and complete your Form 1040-NR for you. See https://turbotaxcpaselect.intuit.com/ We wish you the best Reply
My children (ages 18 and 21) both work full time. If I let them file 1040EZ, will they still be allowed to be on my health insurance, or will they no longer be considered my dependents? Reply
can i use turbo tax to file i have one dependent and a home, but my deductions are not in the standard range ,they are about 40000..so what form do i use to file hoh, 1 dependent. Reply
My property taxes were paid on Feb. 1, 2013 and July 8 2013. My 1098 only reflects the July payment because we did a loan modifcation in Dec. 2012. Out mortgage company held the funds for our taxes but NOT in our escrow acct. Can I claim both payments since they were both paid in 2013? Reply
The money for the feb. payment was NOT reflected on our 2012 1098 btw. This also happened to us in 2011. Can i file an amended tax return. I have my bills from the town stating they were paid. Reply
My Wife and i have two small casino wins wich we did have taxes taken out by casino. I have have the two forms they gave us for said winnings. Do i still claim them? What form should i use? We usualy file 1040EZ. Married filling jointly. Reply
Hi Albert, Yes you still have to claim them on your taxes. If you itemize you can also deduct your gambling losses up to your winnings. Don’t worry about what forms you need to use, TurboTax will put your information on the correct forms according to answers to simple questions. Happy filing! Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
Hello – This will be our first year of filing for our taxes having purchased a home. We also made some improvements on the home. Can you please tell me what documents we need in order to file? Reply
Hi Lisa, Regarding the purchase of your home, you will receive a 1098 from your lender showing the mortgage interest you paid, which is deductible and it may show points paid by you as well which are also tax deductible. Your 1098 may also show property taxes paid if the property taxes are impounded in your payment, which are deductible. You should also have your closing statement from the purchase of your home, which will show any property taxes and points paid by you that may not appear on your 1098-int from your lender. I’m not sure about your specific tax situation, but you will need W-2s and 1099s for income you’ve received. TurboTax will ask you simple questions related to you and will give you the tax deductions and credits you deserve so it will prompt you for those deductible expenses. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
All I have is a house, and a student loan, what form do I use to file my taxes, do I file ? Irma R Reply
Hi, I haven’t filed my 2012 taxes yet due to a fire in my condo community ( it was my next door neighbor’s unit that actually had the fire, but I was displaced twice during this set of circumstances. Once in the beginning because I was evacuated by fire marshal/building inspectors for safety reasons & then about a month later when fire restoration company had to come in to restore/clean up my unit due to smoke damage/water damage. During this process, fire restoration company came in , while I was evacuated to a hotel & packed up the entire contents of my home, including my w-2’s , with no consideration to order or organization, They literally turned my house upside down & I have just located my paperwork due to the unorganized manner in which they packed things…I am expecting a refund & I’d like to know how I can calculate what it might be & am I entitled to any hardship credits due to this & expenses I had to put out for hotel expenses, etc.? Also, I file head of house & have a child ( 5yrs. old ) & I am not married but support my son’s father who is disabled , but does NOT get any disability compensation…I usually claim myself & my minor son, but should I be claiming my son’s father( domestic partner/not married ) as well because he has no income & can’t work, plus I need him at home to care for our son because we don’t believe in paying a stranger to raise our son. I need to know how many I should be claiming to maximize my refund, I have 3 w-2’s from employment in 2012 so which form is right for me…1040EZ or 1040A? Also, we live paycheck to paycheck so I need to know what is the best/fastest/easiest way for me to file for 2012 & how can I estimate what my refund will be? It was a very bad year for us financially because where we were living at the time, the job market was dead & my earnings were just over 11,000.00…how can I e-file for free ( I have used Jackson Hewitt/ H&R Block in the past, but can not afford the service fee at this time…please advise me how I can do this myself in the fastest way possible where the filing fee, if I can’t get it for free, is deducted from the refund itself & be direct deposited to my bank….I need this money fast, like 6mo. ago!! Thank You in advance for any insight you can offer to assist me in getting this expedited ASAP! 🙂 Plus, please also advise on what I should do for filing 2013…I have applied for a grant to start online university classes to get my bachelors degree in health science…I am confused about the new laws & need some insight on which way to turn. I am overwhelmed in every way you can imagine & it seems like the more I research, the more I get confused by the plethora of information, contradictory information that is out there! Need some clarity, Thanks! With so much to deal with & do to keep my family afloat…in desperate need of guidance! I don’t want to do anything without making the ” informed ” decision that could potentially affect my family’s financial status in a negative way…need all we can get & are entitled to! Reply
I babysat for a woman from February to June of this year. I made about $770.00 and she still owes me $183.00. I did not keep the best records, as it was a temporary will you help me out during this rough time and do it super cheap ($3.00 an hour). I have some timesheets, but not a lot of anything else. She paid in cash all but twice and neither her or I did receipts. Which forms do we need to fill out to claim the income I made? Also, can we write-off her past due amount? Reply
I worked a seasonal job making less than $9200, Less than $500 for unemployment earnings. I own a home (approx. pd. $5000 in mortgage int.) and I have Oppenheimer and Primerica & Chase investments which have less than $300. in interest or dividends. Bank accounts with less than $10 interest. I have no other income earnings. Do I file a 1040EZ or a 1040A form? Thank You. Reply
hi Deb. You are eligible to file Form 1040EZ since you’ll get more deduction by using standard deduction. Reply
-Lisa- I received a 1099 Misc. form and was wondering if I needed to send it with my state taxes or federal or both…? Thank you for your assistance. Respectively Yours, -Erik- Reply
Hi my name is Barbara and the question I have is my husband gets diablity ssa and I do some off work that i receive cash from people. How can I file this we have a child that is under 17 also. Not sure how to file can you please help. Thank You Barbara Reply
I file a 1040 ecause I have a home with mortgage. I received a 1099C and was wondering were I put that on the form? unpaid credit balance. Reply
Due to the death of my husband. I wasn’t able to file my 2010, 2011 taxes. Since we live on SS. We always filed easy. How do we get forms to file. Have used Turbotax for years. My DVD purchased for 2010 doesn’t work. Please help. Reply
Hi Lisa, I was told that I could file a return and get up to $250 to $400 on a return and file up to 3 years ago on this one. Even if I haven’t worked. Is this true? LuvvinLacey Reply
My husband and I usually file the 1040EZ, but we bought a house in Feb of 2012 and we wanted to know if we have to file with a different form? Please let me know! Thank you! Reply
Hi Casey, Congratulations on purchasing a home. You should be able to get a nice deduction for that. You will not file 1040EZ, but there’s no need to worry you can still start for free and TurboTax will ask you the appropriate questions necessary to fill out the correct from. You don’t need to worry about which form to fill out TurboTax does everything for you and if you have a question you can ask our tax experts for free. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
We did our taxes with another company last year. This year we are using TurboTax. We have misplaced our 2010’s, how necessary is it that we have them? Reply
Hi Cassie, You can still file. You just need to know if you itemized your deductions and if you received a state refund in 2010, you have to claim that amount on your 2011 taxes. You should receive a 1099 for that amount though so you should be OK. You also need to know any previous carry over amounts like any capital losses(from selling stock or real estate losses) that are carrying over. If you already started amortizing points paid on real estate you want to take that into account as well. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
I efiled my tax return with turbo tax, only to realize I didn’t enter my IRA contribution, I followed the instructions and ammended my return. What papers do I need to mail in with the ammended return? Reply
whatt forms do i need to send in to get my tax return… we went to lcc and they had tax help there they did it on the computer idk if we send the w2s or what? Reply
If my wife has a 1099 and has expenses against it as well, gas, supplies, ect.., which turbo tax do I need? Thank you. Reply
Hi Brad, She should use the Deluxe product. She will be guided through income and expense items that go on schedule C. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
I have already e-filed my return & was rejected because of error onsch.F. How do i correct and resend? Thanks. Reply
Hi Edon, You can go back into your tax return, go to the tools button on the far right, search topics, input form schedule F. The program will bring you to the interview section of the return so can change the information. If that doesn’t work you can go to your home tab, scroll down on the left, click delete a form, and all the forms in your tax return will show up. Then you can delete the form and correct the information. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
Hi Tunisia, You have to look at the rejection code that you were given. This should tell you the specifics regarding why it was rejected. Basically, you can file 1040EZ as long as you earn under $100,000, your interest income is under $1,500, and you do not claim any dependents. Yes, you can still file Form 1040A if you need to. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply