What to expect
- A conversation. Call, send an email or book a time online. We talk through your situation, what you need, and whether we are a good fit. There is no charge for this call.
- An engagement letter. You receive a short letter to e-sign that spells out the work and the fee. Nothing starts until you have agreed to both.
- Portal access. An invitation from SmartVault arrives by email. Activate it, turn on two-step verification, and you have a secure folder for your documents. See how the portal works.
- Upload or drop off. Send documents through the portal from a computer or phone, or bring paper to the office and we scan it for you.
- Preparation and review. We prepare the work and go through it with you, by phone or in person, before anything is filed.
- Sign, file, confirm. You e-sign in the portal, we e-file, and we let you know when the IRS and state have accepted the return. Pay the invoice by card, PayPal or check.
What to gather for an individual return
Everyone
- Last year's federal and state returns, if we did not prepare them
- Driver's license or state ID for each taxpayer
- Social Security cards or ITIN letters for anyone new on the return, including children
- IRS Identity Protection PIN letter, if you have one
- Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit
Income
- W-2s from every employer
- 1099 forms: interest (INT), dividends (DIV), brokerage (B and consolidated statements), retirement (R), Social Security (SSA-1099), unemployment (G), contract work (NEC), miscellaneous (MISC), digital assets (DA)
- K-1s from partnerships, S corporations, trusts or estates
- Records of rental income and expenses
- Records of any other income: gambling winnings (W-2G), jury duty, prizes, alimony under older agreements
Deductions and credits
- Form 1095-A if you had Marketplace health insurance
- Mortgage interest (1098) and real estate tax statements
- Charitable contributions, with receipts for any gift of $250 or more
- Medical expenses if they were large this year
- Childcare provider name, address, tax ID and amount paid
- Tuition statements (1098-T) and student loan interest (1098-E)
- IRA, HSA and retirement contributions made outside payroll
- Estimated tax payments made during the year, with dates and amounts
- Energy-efficient home improvement or electric vehicle purchase records
Kansas residents
- Vehicle property tax paid (shown on your registration renewal)
- If you are 55 or older, disabled, or have a dependent child under 18 at home, your property tax statement or rent paid for the Homestead or SAFESR claim
What to gather for a farm or business
- Year-end bank and credit card statements, and the books if you keep them (QuickBooks access works well)
- Sales records, 1099-K from card processors, and 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC received
- Purchases of equipment, vehicles and buildings, with dates, prices and any trade-in details
- Loan statements showing interest paid and year-end balances
- Payroll reports, Forms 941 and W-3 if payroll was processed elsewhere
- Vehicle mileage log or total and business miles
- Home office square footage and total home square footage, if you claim it
- Farms: crop insurance and disaster payments, CCC loan statements, government program payments (1099-G), 1099-PATR from cooperatives, livestock purchase and sale records, prepaid feed and supply receipts
- New entities: formation documents, EIN letter, S corporation acceptance letter, and any prior returns
A few things that make it go faster
- Upload documents as they arrive rather than all at once in April. The portal keeps them organized by year.
- Photograph paper documents with the whole page in frame and good light. The SmartVault app does this well.
- Tell us about changes: a move, a marriage or divorce, a new child, a new job or business, a sale of property, a retirement account distribution. Changes are where the planning opportunities and the surprises both live.
- Answer the questions in the organizer or the quick questionnaire we send. They catch the deductions people forget.