Today would have been Arnold Block’s 91st birthday. We miss him every day. When people talk about doing what you love, meeting with you all and saving you money is what he loved. Those of you who remember him will remember that his personal connection with you was more important than any other part of the work. I’ve said frequently that we are not in the “tax business.” We are in the “Peace of Mind business.” Taxes are a means to that end.
Arnold was preparing tax returns when the due date was still March 15th, during the Eisenhower Administration. The only state that had an income tax at the time was New York State. Those were the days. Taxes were simpler, but there was a 90% tax bracket if you earned enough!
Onto a lighter topic: I’m feeling a bad case of deja vu after the teams playing the Super Bowl were decided this weekend. How about you?
Most of America isn’t thrilled about the fact that the 2025 SuperBowl will feature the familiar faces of the Chiefs and the Eagles. Success breeds resentment, I suppose. We’ll see if ratings take a hit for it.
But, in more exciting news (for me, at least), tax season opened this week (yesterday, January 27th, was the first day we could e-file returns this year, including amended returns from 2023 and before). So turn on “Eye of the Tiger” (or whatever your pump-up song of choice is), get your documents together, and schedule your filing appointment. My team and I are here to help you advise and serve you in our mutual quest to keep you out of trouble and save you money.
In a way, I can relate to Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts right now. Forgive the corny metaphor, but I like to think of tax season as our own little Super Bowl. And we leave everything on the field, every year. I’m not new to this turf.
And I’ll submit to you that familiarity actually isn’t the nuisance America is making it out to be right now – because it builds trust. Which is something my clients have in my team and I, because we’re seasoned veterans.
It’s game time. Which means it’s time for you to gear up (okay, I’ll stop with the football metaphors now). What I mean is, it’s time for you to get prepped for your tax appointment.
TaxMaster Financial Service Corporation’s
“Real World” Personal Strategy Note
What to Bring To Your Tax Appointment: Your Essential Checklist
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.” – Calvin Coolidge
I’m here to make taxes easier for you. And to help you keep every dollar you (legally) can. So, to that end, I’m giving you an almost comprehensive checklist of what to upload, send or bring to us prior to your tax appointment.
And remember, the tax return is the end result of careful planning. We endeavor to do more advisory work with you during the year, if you so choose, so that there will be no surprises, and so that you can be better educated on the tax process. Hundreds of you called, emailed or sent us messages on TaxDome during the off-season, and we are rolling out our advisory work so that we can schedule time with you in advance, to go over finances with you in addition to questions you have as they come up.
I’ll warn you up front: This is a long list. My aim here is to make sure ALL your bases are covered – and our complicated tax code means there are a lot of bases to check.
Not all of the items on this checklist will apply to you. Many probably won’t. Take what you need. Don’t worry about what doesn’t. Even if you opt not to use our cost-effective services this year, feel free to take this as a handy guide.
But first, I want to give you a heads-up about a few changes that have happened in the last year that could affect your 2024 return:
The standard deduction increased to 29.2K for married filing jointly, 14.6K for single and married filing separately, and 21.9K for head of household (up from 27.7K, 13.85K, and 20.8K respectively in 2023).
Tax brackets have adjusted slightly thanks to inflation. (I’ll let the IRS give you the full scoop here).
Natural disaster victims get a helping hand from the IRS in the form of more generous deductions for casualty losses and extended filing deadlines. If you were impacted last year, bring proof (like records of property damage and insurance claims) to your appointment.
Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credits have been expanded to cover 30 percent of eligible home improvements, and the 500-dollar lifetime limit is no more. Now, you can claim 1.2K annually (check out this list of what makes an eligible purchase, then hunt down those receipts so you can bring them to your appointment).
The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exemption increased to 85.7K (for single filers) and phases out at 609,350. For married couples filing jointly, that exemption jumps to 133.3K and phases out at 1,218,700.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) adjusted, and the maximum amount is 7,830 for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children (up from 7,430 in 2023).
The Form 1099-K threshold is now 5K (down from the previous 20k). Meaning, if you received payments over 5K through third-party platforms (like PayPal or Venmo) in 2024, you’ll receive Form 1099-K.
Now that you’re updated, here’s that detailed list of what to bring to your tax appointment:
Personal information
Social Security numbers (including your spouse, children, and other dependents)
Residential address(es) for 2024
Dates of birth
Type of dependent relationship
Income of any dependents
Last year’s or most recent federal and state tax returns (if we don’t have them on file)
Employment & Income (a whole lot of 1099s)
W-2 forms for 2024
“Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions” (1099-K – and you may get one of these no matter how little income you made. Report the income.)
Tax refunds and unemployment compensation (Form 1099-G, “Certain Government Payments”)
Miscellaneous income including rent, prizes, and awards (Form 1099-MISC & 1099-NEC)
Partnership, trust, and S-Corp income (K-1 – notorious for arriving late, but only because they don’t have to be out the door until February 15)
Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099/1042S)
Distributions from profit-sharing or retirement plans; IRAs; annuities, pensions, insurance contracts, survivor income benefit plans; permanent and total disability payments under life insurance contracts; and charitable gift annuities, among others (1099-R)
Gambling winnings (W-2G)
State and local income tax refunds (1099-G)
Records for alimony received, jury duty pay, and any other tax credit information for 2024
Financial Assets
Interest income (Forms 1099-INT & 1099-OID)
Dividend and distribution income (Form 1099-DIV)
Money from broker transactions (Form 1099-B)
Cryptocurrency sales (including coin-to-coin trades) – report of any cryptocurrency activities
Records for capital gains or losses
Health Insurance Information
Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement
Form 1095-B, Health Coverage
Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage
Records of credits and/or advance payments received from the Premium Tax Credit (if claiming)
Homeowner/Renter Info
Mortgage interest, real estate taxes (Form 1098)
Second mortgage interest paid (if you don’t rent that property or rent it only under specific conditions – check with us)
Sale of your home or other real estate (Form 1099-S)
Settlement statement for any real estate purchased or sold during the year
Moving expenses (only if in active military and then under certain conditions)
Reimbursements for moving
Personal property tax information
Rent paid during the tax year
Records of property damage/insurance claims
Financial Liabilities
Auto loans and leases if the vehicle is used for business
Student loan interest paid (Form 1098-E)
Early withdrawal penalties on retirement funds, certificates of deposit CDs (1099-INT), and other fixed-time deposits
Records of gambling losses (if you plan to itemize deductions – any questions about that, check with us)
Expenses
Gifts to charity (again, if you itemize deductions)
Health insurance information (the Form 1095 series – don’t need it for your federal return anymore but good to have among your records)
Education expenses (tuition and fees)
Childcare expenses
Job-hunting expenses
Medical savings accounts information (1099-SA)
Adoption expenses’ records
Unreimbursed expenses related to work (few folks can take this deduction)
Self-Employment (SE) Data
Records for estimated SE tax paid (probably quarterly) in 2024
SE retirement plan information (SIMPLE and SEP-IRAs, for instance)
Health insurance premium records
Receipts or documentation for business-related expenses, including rent/mortgage, utilities, equipment, auto loans, and leases if you use the vehicle for business
Farm income records
Deduction documents
Retirement plan(s) contributions
Medical expenses (you can deduct only the amount of your medical and dental expenses exceeding 7.5 percent of your entire adjusted gross income)
Tuition and higher-ed (you may be eligible for one of a few education credits)
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this list of what to bring to your tax appointment, I get it. It’s a lot. But rest assured, we are here to guide you through this process. I want you to get the most benefits you can from this 2024 tax season – and that starts with booking your appointment ASAP:
212-247-9090
