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What to bring, and when it is due.
The checklist we run at the desk, the deadlines worth putting in your calendar, and plain-English answers to the questions that come up every February.
Document checklist
What to bring to your appointment
You do not need all of it to book — bring what you have and we will tell you what is missing. Print this page or take a photo of the list.
Identity
- Photo ID for you (and your spouse, if filing jointly)
- Social Security or ITIN numbers for everyone on the return
- Dates of birth for any dependants you are claiming
- Last year's federal and California returns, if you have them
- Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit
Income
- W‑2 from every employer you worked for during the year
- 1099‑NEC and 1099‑MISC for contract and freelance work
- 1099‑K from payment apps and gig platforms
- 1099‑INT, 1099‑DIV and 1099‑B for interest, dividends and sales
- 1099‑G for unemployment or a state refund
- SSA‑1099 for Social Security benefits
- 1099‑R for pension, annuity or retirement distributions
- K‑1s from any partnership, S‑corp or trust
- Rental income and expense records, per property
- Records of cash or app income with no form attached
Deductions & credits
- 1098 mortgage interest statement and property tax paid
- 1098‑T tuition statement and 1098‑E student loan interest
- Childcare provider's name, address and tax ID, plus amounts paid
- Charitable donation receipts
- Out-of-pocket medical and dental totals
- Health coverage forms — 1095‑A if you bought through Covered California
- Estimated tax payments you already made, federal and state
- IRA or HSA contribution records
If you are self-employed or have a business
- Total income, including anything that never got a 1099
- Business expenses by category, or the bookkeeping file
- Mileage log or total business miles driven
- Home office square footage and total home square footage
- Asset purchases over $2,500 with dates and amounts
- Payroll reports and any 1099s you issued to others
Send documents safely. Please do not email Social Security numbers, ITINs or photos of your ID. Bring them in, or ask us for a secure way to send them. Our contact form is for scheduling only — never put tax document details in it.
Next filing deadline
—
until the next individual filing deadline
- Drop-off cut-off 4pm, Mon–Fri
- Extensions filed Same day
- Saturday appointments Jan–Apr
Countdown is general information. If April 15 falls on a weekend or holiday the IRS shifts the date — always confirm the posted deadline.
Missing a document? Come anyway. We can often pull an IRS wage and income transcript that shows what was reported under your Social Security number, which is faster than chasing a former employer.
Mark your calendar
Deadlines worth knowing
Dates shift when they land on a weekend or a holiday. These are the usual dates — confirm the posted one with us or with the IRS each year.
| Date | What is due |
|---|---|
| Jan 15 | Fourth-quarter estimated tax payment for the previous year |
| Jan 31 | Employers and clients must send out W‑2s and 1099s |
| Mar 15 | Partnership (1065) and S‑corporation (1120‑S) returns, or their extensions |
| Apr 15 | Individual returns (1040), first-quarter estimates, IRA contributions, C‑corp returns, and Form 4868 extensions |
| Jun 15 | Second-quarter estimated tax payment |
| Sep 15 | Third-quarter estimates, and extended partnership and S‑corp returns |
| Oct 15 | Extended individual returns — the last call for a 4868 extension |
An extension is not a payment plan. Form 4868 gives you six more months to file, not six more months to pay. If you expect to owe, the payment is still due in April or interest and penalties start running. See Extensions.
Plain answers
Questions we get every February
How long does a refund take?
The IRS generally issues most refunds within 21 days of accepting an e‑filed return with direct deposit. Returns claiming certain credits are held later into February by law, and paper checks take longer. We cannot speed the IRS up — but we can get your return into the queue tomorrow instead of in three weeks.
I got a 1099‑K from a payment app. Do I have to report it?
If the money was business or gig income, yes — and it is reported to the IRS whether or not you report it. If some of it was people paying you back for dinner, that is not income, and we separate it out properly rather than ignoring the form. Bring the 1099‑K and the account history.
What if I cannot pay what I owe?
File anyway. The penalty for not filing is far larger than the penalty for not paying, and payment plans are available once the return is on record. We will file the return and explain the options for the balance.
I got a letter from the IRS or the FTB. What now?
Do not ignore it and do not panic — most notices are a matching question, not an audit. Bring the letter in with the return it refers to. If it is a correction we agree with, it may need an amended return; if it is wrong, it needs a written response by the date on the notice.
Should I itemize or take the standard deduction?
We calculate both and use whichever leaves you better off. For most people since the standard deduction rose, it is the standard deduction — but homeowners with mortgage interest and property tax, and anyone with a large medical or charitable year, are worth checking. Bring the receipts and we will tell you which way it lands.
Do I need to file a California return as well?
If you are a California resident with a filing requirement, almost always — and California's thresholds and rules are not identical to the federal ones. Both returns are prepared and e‑filed together as one job. See Pricing.
How long should I keep my tax records?
Three years from the filing date covers most situations, seven years is the safe habit, and records relating to property should be kept until you have sold it and filed that year's return. California can look back further than the IRS in some cases, which is a good reason not to throw anything out at the three-year mark.
This page is general information, not advice about your situation. Tax rules change and the amounts and dates above are the usual ones, not a guarantee. Ask us about your own return before acting on anything here.
Got the envelope? That is the whole checklist.
Bring what you have. We will run the list with you at the desk and tell you in fifteen minutes whether anything is missing.