A tax organizer is a document that outlines what your CPA will need from you in order to prepare your income tax return. We send these to our clients ahead of each tax season, so if you are our client, you have likely received one.
Depending on your preference, you will receive your JAK + Co. organizer via SafeSend (electronic organizer) or postal mail (paper organizer). You will also receive a letter with the organizer that will give you a deadline for submitting your completed organizer and supporting tax documents.
This deadline is designed to give your tax preparer time to work on your return with the goal of completing it by the April tax deadline. Keep in mind the deadline will change depending on the exact date of the deadline. If we receive your organizer after the deadline, we will likely need to file an extension.
Although an electronic organizer can make the information-submittal process much easier, many clients still opt for a paper organizer. But having to compile and manage a bunch of paper documents can be overwhelming.
If you have opted to receive a paper organizer and are feeling stressed about the process, here are a few tips for completing yours as quickly and painlessly as possible:
Please do…
- Fill out the organizer to completion, preferably with black ink.
- Place all supporting tax documents together behind your completed organizer.
- Total all medical expenses and include the total amount within the organizer.
- Consider contacting your investment advisors and providing them with our contact information, so they can forward any relevant tax forms directly to your CPA.
- Provide corrected and supplemental tax statements when available at your earliest convenience.
- Acknowledge that you paid your estimates and any extensions for the tax year.
- Drop your organizer and supporting documents off at our front desk or in our secure drop box, located just outside our office.
- Schedule a meeting (we offer in-person and virtual appointments) if you would like to talk through your tax information or have questions about the organizer.
We suggest you do not…
- Staple or tape (i.e., affix) anything to the organizer’s pages.
- Place post-it notes or flags on or between organizer pages.
- Insert tax documents within the organizer.
- Include monthly bank or brokerage statements.
- Submit duplicate tax documents.
Please do include all the necessary documents.
Not sure which documents to include? Below is a list of the types of forms we will want to see placed behind your completed organizer. Consider collecting these as you receive them throughout the year and storing them together in a secure place.
The original supporting documentation you provide with your organizer will be mailed back to you sometime after the April tax deadline or upon completion of your extended return.
- Form W-2 – Wage and Tax Statement
- Form W-2G – Certain Gambling Winnings
- SSA-1099 – Social Security Benefit Statement
- Form 1099-G – Certain Government Payments (i.e., unemployment compensation)
- Consolidated 1099 Tax Statement
- Form 1099-B – Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions
- Form 1099-C – Cancellation of Debt
- Form 1099-DIV – Dividends and Distributions
- Form 1099-INT – Interest Income
- Form 1099-K – Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions
- Form 1099-LTC – Long Term Care and Accelerated Death Benefits
- Form 1099-MISC – Miscellaneous Income
- Form 1099-NEC – Nonemployee Compensation
- Form 1099-Q – Payments from Qualified Education Programs
- Form 1099-QA – Distributions from ABLE Accounts
- Form 1099-R – Distributions from Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc.
- Form 1099-S – Proceeds from Real Estate Transactions
- Form 5498 – IRA Account Fair Market Value
- Form 1098 – Mortgage Interest Statements
- Form 1098-T – Tuition Statement
- Form 1095-A – Health Insurance Marketplace Statement
- Form 1095-B – Health Coverage
- Form 1095-C – Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage
- Schedule K-1 (Form 1065, 1041, or 1120S) – Partner/Beneficiary/Shareholder’s Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. (including attachments and state information)
- Property tax statements
- Charitable receipts (amounts totaling over $250)
- Medical receipts (if totals not provided within organizer)
- Long-term care receipts
- Childcare receipts
- Selling/purchasing agreements
- All other “governmental-looking” forms
Please do not stress!
We understand that having to dig up and compile your financial and tax information can be daunting. On this note, if you have never tried an electronic organizer, perhaps this is the year to explore how it works?
Either way, we are here to help you through the process. If you have questions about your organizer or tax return, give us a call anytime.