What documents are needed to file taxes?

Many business owners wonder, “what documents do I need to file taxes?” To help make the tax filing process go smoothly, here are the main documents you’ll need.

Essential documents for tax preparation.

If you want to make tax preparation a bit more streamlined, have at least these documents ready:

  1. Financial statement — This document shows the financial health of your business. It typically includes a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.
  2. Capital-asset activity — A capital-asset activity document shows assets you’ve bought to document expenses and depreciation.
  3. Vehicle use — Keep a document that shows your vehicle operating expenses like fuel, mileage, and maintenance. You can get a deduction on your taxes for every mile driven.
  4. Summary of home-office expenses — Many businesses operate from home, which means you can deduct a percentage of your home expenses. You’ll need a summary of what you’ve paid for mortgage/rent, insurance, utilities, repairs, and maintenance.
  5. Form 1098 — If you’re wondering, “what forms do I need to file my taxes,” a 1098 should be part of that list if you work from home. A form 1098 shows the mortgage-interest and property tax payments you’ve made on your home throughout the year. You’ll need it to calculate your total business costs for working from home.

This list isn’t exhaustive. Consult your accountant to find out exactly what you’ll need to complete your tax preparations.

Merge documents into one PDF.

Once you compile all the necessary documents, it’s a good idea to digitize your tax documents and merge them into a single PDF to simplify sending and viewing.

It’s easy to merge your documents into one PDF using an online PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat online services.

Visit the Acrobat online website. Upload the PDF documents you want to merge. Reorder them however you like, and then download the merged PDF.

This way, all your tax documents will be in one easy-to-manage file you can send to your accountant or other tax preparer.

Discover what more you can do with Adobe Acrobat to simplify organizing your tax documents.