What Documents Do I Need To Collect For Filing My 2023 Tax Return?

March 4, 2024 | January Smith IV

Tax season, just like the first taste of hot weather here in San Antonio, is upon us. I know how tricky it can be to manage such a daunting task on top of your other responsibilities. Unfortunately, for most, this means we  are reactive to taxes, instead of proactive. This is a key differentiator between an accountant and a tax planner. To help speed things along, I’ve put together this checklist to help you organize the documents you need to file your return. Feel free to use it as needed or provide it to your accountant so y’all can work together to make sure this tax season goes off smoothly.

This checklist covers the key issues to consider when preparing to file one’s taxes, such as: documents and info to gather for your sources of income, potential tax deductions, potential tax credits, and other important nuances. 

The Checklist

What Documents Do I Need To Collect For Filing My 2023 Tax Return?.pdf

Tax Planning Strategies

These nuances, or “other”, category is where a lot of my focus and attention goes for clients in the financial planning practice. Strategies like “Backdoor Roth” conversions, business ownership, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), and tax optimized investing fall here and can make a tremendous difference in one’s financial plan.

For many of these strategies it’s important to remember that we’re not optimizing on lowering our tax bill this year, but over our lifetimes. I devote so much of my time here, because, at the end of the day, for many of us, taxes will be one of our largest expenses in life. If that weren’t enough, I would argue there isn’t a financial decision we make as a household that doesn’t have tax implications. My hope is that this checklist will better equip you to navigate the process of gathering documents for filing taxes.

I'm Here to Help

After reviewing the checklist, let’s book a call or meeting to work through any questions you may have. I would love the opportunity to meet, learn more about you and your goals, and see what tax planning strategies may apply to your unique situation.