Your Tax Filing Checklist: Organize, Upload, Review, and File With Confidence

Tax preparation begins before your return is prepared.

A smoother filing process starts with gathering the right information, organizing your documents, identifying anything that is missing, and submitting your records securely.

At Unifirst Financial and Tax Consultants, we want you to know what to prepare, what to expect, and what happens after your documents are submitted.

Use this checklist to get organized before we begin preparing your return.

Download and Complete Your Tax Organizer

Our Fillable Document Checklist and Tax Organizer can help you determine which information and documents may apply to your return.

Complete the sections that apply to you. If you are unsure whether something applies, leave the item unanswered and include your question in the explanation section. We can review it with you.

Start With the Information That Applies to You

Depending on your tax situation, you may need information related to:

• You, your spouse, and your dependents

• Income received during the year

• Deductions and tax credits

• Business or self-employment activity

• Rental property

• Investments and digital assets

• Retirement accounts

• Health insurance and medical expenses

• Education expenses

• Charitable contributions

• Homeownership

• Major life changes

• State residency

• J-1 or H-1B visa status

• Foreign income or international tax matters

You do not need every item on this checklist. Only provide the information that applies to your situation.

Confirm Your Personal Information

Make sure we have accurate and current information for you and your spouse, when applicable.

This includes your:

• Full legal name

• Social Security number or ITIN

• Date of birth

• Occupation

• Telephone number

• Email address

• Current mailing address

• Filing status information

• Dependent information

• State residency information

If you moved during the year, provide the dates and states where you lived.

Please also upload the front and back of each taxpayer's current state-issued identification through your secure portal.

Protect Your Personal Information

Do not send Social Security numbers, identification documents, banking information, or other sensitive tax records through ordinary email or text message.

Use the secure portal or document-transfer method provided to you by our firm.

Tell Us About Major Life Changes

Your tax return may be affected by changes that occurred during the year.

Let us know if you experienced a marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, death in the family, custody change, move to another state, home purchase or sale, retirement, job change, business change, inheritance, investment transaction, tax notice, or another significant change in your household or income.

Include the date of the change and a short explanation whenever possible.

Gather Your Income Documents

Provide all income records that apply to you.

These may include:

• W-2s

• 1099 forms

• 1099-K payment processor reports

• Interest and dividend statements

• Brokerage statements

• Retirement distributions

• Social Security income

• Unemployment income

• Schedule K-1s

• Self-employment income

• Rental income

• Digital asset transactions

• Foreign income

• Scholarships or fellowships

• Other income for which you did not receive a tax form

If you are still waiting for a tax document, tell us what is missing and when you expect to receive it.

Review Potential Deductions and Tax Credits

Your tax situation may also require supporting documents for deductions or credits.

Depending on your circumstances, these may include records related to:

Your Home

Mortgage interest, real estate taxes, home purchases or sales, refinancing, qualifying energy improvements, or home-office use.

Health Care

Form 1095-A, Health Savings Account activity, medical expenses, dental expenses, long-term care premiums, or self-employed health insurance.

Education

Form 1098-T, Form 1098-E, tuition, required fees, scholarships, grants, books, supplies, or education savings accounts.

Charitable Contributions

Cash contribution acknowledgments, donated property records, noncash contribution information, qualifying appraisals, or volunteer mileage.

Childcare and Other Credits

Childcare provider information, dependent care expenses, adoption expenses, qualifying energy or vehicle purchases, credit carryforwards, or related IRS correspondence.

Providing a document does not automatically mean the expense qualifies for a deduction or credit. It gives us the information needed to evaluate the item as part of your complete tax situation.

Business Owners, Self-Employed Individuals, and Rental Property Owners

If you own a business, work for yourself, or own rental property, additional records may be required.

Depending on your situation, provide:

• Profit and loss statements

• Balance sheets

• General ledgers

• Business bank statements

• Business credit card statements

• Payment processor reports

• Vehicle mileage records

• Equipment and asset purchases

• Loan statements

• Inventory information

• Payroll records

• Estimated tax payments

• Retirement plan contributions

• Home-office information

• Rental income and expenses

• Property purchase or sale documents

• Prior depreciation schedules

Separate your personal and business activity before submitting your records whenever possible.

If your bookkeeping is incomplete, let us know before tax preparation begins. This allows us to determine whether bookkeeping cleanup or additional work may be needed before your return can be completed.

Additional Information for J-1 and H-1B Visa Holders

Your immigration classification does not, by itself, determine your federal tax residency.

Your filing requirements may depend on your visa classification, previous visits to the United States, number of days physically present in the country, type of income received, and possible tax treaty benefits.

You may need to provide:

• Passport identification page

• Visa page

• Most recent Form I-94

• Form DS-2019 for J-1 visa holders

• Form I-797 for H-1B visa holders

• Dates you entered and left the United States

• Information about prior U.S. visits

• W-2, 1042-S, and 1099 forms

• Scholarship or fellowship statements

• Foreign income information

• Prior federal and state tax returns

• Prior Forms 8843

• Information supporting a possible treaty position

We may review your U.S. tax residency, treaty eligibility, income classification, and the appropriate federal and state filing method.

Tax preparation does not constitute immigration or legal advice.

Prepare Your Files Before Uploading

A few minutes of organization can prevent delays later. Before uploading your documents:

• Make sure every page is readable.

• Include every page of multipage documents.

• Make sure pages are facing the correct direction.

• Remove passwords from protected files.

• Remove duplicate copies.

• Clearly identify corrected tax forms.

• Identify any documents you are still waiting for.

• Include a short explanation for unusual transactions or questions.

Clear filenames are also helpful.

For example:

• YourLastName W2 2026

• YourLastName Mortgage Interest 2026

• YourLastName State ID Front

• YourLastName State ID Back

• YourLastName Schedule K1 2026

Your documents do not need fancy names. They simply need to be identifiable.

Protect Your Tax Information

Tax documents contain some of your most sensitive personal information.

Use only the secure portal or document-transfer method provided to you.

You can also help protect your information by:

• Using a strong and unique password

• Enabling multifactor authentication when available

• Never sharing verification codes

• Avoiding public Wi-Fi when uploading sensitive documents

• Checking unexpected links before opening them

• Contacting our firm directly if a request appears unusual

At Unifirst Financial and Tax Consultants, protecting your information is part of our tax preparation process. We use secure document-transfer methods and controlled information-handling procedures designed to protect sensitive client information.

Submit Your Documents Securely

When your information is ready:

1. Complete your Tax Organizer.

2. Upload the organizer through your secure portal.

3. Upload your supporting documents.

4. Complete any required portal questions.

5. Identify documents that are still missing.

6. Tell us when you expect to receive missing items.

7. Include your questions or explanations.

8. Monitor your portal for additional requests.

New clients will receive instructions for establishing portal access.

Existing clients may be asked to reactivate their account or confirm that their information is current.

If you are expecting an activation email and do not see it, check your spam or junk folder.

What Happens After You Submit Your Documents?

1. Initial Review

We review your organizer and uploaded documents to determine whether the information appears complete.

2. Missing Information Follow-Up

If something is missing, unclear, inconsistent, or unreadable, we will contact you.

Preparation may need to wait until the required information is received.

3. Scope and Fee Review

If your tax situation requires additional work, additional filings, bookkeeping cleanup, or other services, we will communicate the expected scope and applicable fees.

4. Tax Return Preparation

We prepare the federal, state, business, rental, or applicable international tax filings based on the information and documents you provide.

5. Your Review

You will have an opportunity to review your completed return or filing summary and ask questions before filing.

6. Authorization and Filing

Required authorization forms are completed, payment arrangements are finalized, and eligible returns are electronically filed.

7. Filing Confirmation

You receive confirmation and a completed copy of your return for your records.

8. Planning Beyond the Tax Return

When appropriate, we can review issues that may affect the coming year and identify areas for future tax or financial planning.

Why Clients Choose Unifirst Financial and Tax Consultants

Your tax preparation should give you more than a completed set of forms.

Our process is designed to help you understand what information is needed, how your return is being handled, and whether something in your tax situation deserves additional attention.

Our services may include:

• Individual tax preparation

• Business tax preparation

• Federal and state filings

• Business-owner tax support

• Bookkeeping coordination

• Personalized document review

• Secure document collection

• J-1 and H-1B tax review when applicable

• Tax planning

• Financial planning coordination

• Year-round follow-up

Our goal is to help you provide complete information, understand your filing, and identify issues that may require attention beyond the current tax return.

Final Tax Filing Checklist

Before telling us that your file is ready for review, confirm that:

• Your Tax Organizer is complete.

• Your personal information is accurate.

• Your dependent information is accurate.

• You explained any major life changes.

• You uploaded all available income documents.

• You included applicable deduction and credit records.

• Your business or rental records are organized.

• Visa-related information is included when applicable.

• Your identification was uploaded securely.

• Your banking information was provided securely.

• Your documents are readable.

• Duplicate files were removed.

• Corrected tax forms are clearly identified.

• Missing documents are identified.

• You included expected delivery dates for missing documents.

• Your questions are included.

• Your information was submitted through the secure portal.

A well-organized file gives us the information we need to begin reviewing your tax return efficiently.

Ready to Get Started?

Download the Fillable Tax Organizer, complete the sections that apply to you, and gather your supporting documents.

When you are ready, upload your completed organizer and supporting records through the secure client portal provided by Unifirst Financial and Tax Consultants.

This checklist provides general document-gathering information. Your required documents and filing requirements depend on your individual circumstances.