What to Bring to Your CPA Appointment: Complete Checklist

Showing up prepared to your CPA appointment saves time, reduces back-and-forth, and often saves you money — because every missing document is either a delay or a deduction you might miss.

Here's the complete checklist of what to bring, broken down by situation. Whether you're a personal filer, a small business owner, or starting something new, use this list before you walk in the door.

Universal Documents (Everyone Bring These)

• Photo ID (driver's license or passport)
• Social Security cards or numbers for yourself, spouse, and all dependents
• Prior year federal and state tax returns (if you're a new client)
• Bank routing and account numbers (for refund direct deposit)
• Any IRS or state tax notices you've received this year

Personal Tax Returns

Income Documents

• W-2s from all employers (yours and spouse's)
• 1099-NEC for self-employment or freelance income
• 1099-MISC for rents, royalties, prizes, awards
• 1099-INT for bank interest
• 1099-DIV for dividends
• 1099-R for retirement distributions, pensions, IRAs
• 1099-B for stock or investment sales
• 1099-K for payment-app transactions (Stripe, Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
• 1099-G for unemployment income or state refunds
• SSA-1099 for Social Security benefits
• Schedule K-1 if you're a partner in a partnership or shareholder in an S-Corp

Deduction Documents

• 1098 mortgage interest statement
• Property tax records (year's payments)
• State and local tax records
• 1098-T tuition and education expenses
• 1098-E student loan interest
• Childcare expenses (provider name, address, EIN/SSN, amount paid)
• Medical expense summary (only useful if itemizing — 7.5% of AGI threshold)
• Charitable contribution records (receipts and acknowledgment letters)
• HSA / FSA contribution records (Form 5498-SA)
• IRA / 401(k) contribution records (Form 5498)
• Energy efficiency improvements (solar panels, heat pumps, etc.)

Other Common Items

• Rental property income and expenses (rental income, mortgage interest, repairs, property tax, insurance, utilities, depreciation records)
• Capital gains: stock sales (cost basis), crypto transactions, real estate sales
• Estimated tax payments made (dates and amounts to IRS and state)
• Health insurance documentation (1095-A, 1095-B, or 1095-C)

Small Business / Self-Employed (Schedule C)

In addition to personal documents above, bring:

• Business income summary (all sources, total receipts)
• All 1099-NECs received
• 1099-Ks from payment processors
• Business expense summary, categorized: advertising, supplies, professional fees, insurance, utilities, rent, vehicle expenses, etc.
• Mileage log (total business miles driven this year)
• Home office: square footage of office and total home if claiming home office deduction
• Equipment purchases over $200 (for depreciation or Section 179 expensing)
• Health insurance premiums you paid yourself
• SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) contributions made
• Quarterly estimated tax payments made (dates and amounts)
• If you have employees: payroll records, W-2s issued, 941s and 940 filed
• If you've issued 1099-NECs: copies of those
• Bookkeeping file (QuickBooks backup, spreadsheet, or whatever you use)

Business Entity Returns (LLC / S-Corp / C-Corp / Partnership)

• Prior year business return
• Articles of incorporation / formation documents (new clients)
• Operating agreement or bylaws
• EIN documentation
• Year-end profit and loss statement
• Year-end balance sheet
• General ledger / trial balance
• Bank and credit card statements (December year-end balances)
• Loan documents and year-end balances
• Owner draws / distributions records
• Officer/owner compensation records (S-Corps require reasonable salary documentation)
• Asset purchase records (for depreciation schedules)
• Records of any major transactions (sale of equipment, real estate, business interests)

New Business Setup

If you're starting a business, come ready to discuss:

• Business name and proposed activity
• Ownership structure (solo, partners, percentages)
• Projected first-year revenue
• Anticipated number of employees
• Washington State location(s)
• Professional licensing requirements (contractors, healthcare, real estate, etc.)
• Capital investment available
• Goals for the next 1-3 years

From this conversation, we can recommend the right entity type (sole proprietor, LLC, S-Corp election, C-Corp), help with EIN registration, Washington UBI, payroll setup, and a tax-advantaged structure.

If You're Missing Something — Don't Cancel

If you can't find a document, don't cancel the appointment. Many can be reconstructed (W-2 copies from the IRS, 1099 reissues from payers). Come anyway and we'll figure out what we have, what we need, and how to get it.