GREENSBORO, N.C. — You could have someone do your taxes for you. You can do your taxes on your own. No matter which way you go, the one thing you have to do, is to find all the paperwork.
“Taxes can be daunting, with the amount of paperwork that you need to find,” said John-Walsh DeGance of Jackson Hewitt.
Jackson Hewitt has a paperwork checklist on its website. It is a list! Not everyone has all of these forms or documents, but you probably have a good amount to get together.
All documents are important, but 1099's and W2s show income. These are the documents that are not only sent to you, but to the IRS as well. If your return doesn't include them, it will delay your return and any refund.
“People can be worried if they forgot this W2 or this 1099 and think they might owe more or have to give up part of their refund. The most important thing to remember, is what you owe is significantly smaller than the income you got on that form,” said DeGance.
It's not the end of the world to make a mistake on your taxes, but it means extra waiting time and possibly more documents to file.
One of the most common documents to forget is the 1095-A. This document shows you had health insurance. I just got mine this week, so you may be waiting for yours as well. If you're having a tax preparer do your taxes, you'll need this form.