Tax prep checklist template
Tax client document checklist for a solo preparer
Start with a practical client document list, tailor it to the return, and collect each requested file through one private link without making the client create an account.
Updated August 25, 2026 · Checklist reviewed against current IRS guidance
A useful tax checklist tells the client what to send—and what does not apply.
The starter list below covers common individual and self-employed document categories. A solo preparer should remove irrelevant items and add engagement-specific requests rather than presenting any generic list as complete.
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Clients may send one W-2 but overlook interest, brokerage, retirement, or marketplace forms.
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Self-employed clients need business records that do not belong on every individual checklist.
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A loose folder shows what arrived, but not which requested items are still missing or need replacement.
What should a tax prep document checklist include?
Start with prior returns and notices, identity and dependent details required for the engagement, applicable wage and income forms, investment and retirement statements, health marketplace forms, deduction or credit support, estimated payments, and notes about major changes. Add business, rental, asset, vehicle, or home-office records only when relevant. No generic checklist is complete for every return.
How should a solo tax preparer ask clients for documents?
Send a tailored itemized list that names the tax year, form or record, due date, and expected file type. RequestFlow turns that list into one private no-account upload link, then shows each item as missing, received, accepted, or needing replacement so the next reminder can be specific.
Is RequestFlow tax organizer software?
No. RequestFlow is focused client document collection for one internal user. Use it alongside the organizer, interview, tax preparation, review, and e-signature tools your practice already relies on.
When is a document checklist a better fit than a tax organizer?
A document checklist is a better fit when the client mainly needs to send a known set of forms, statements, receipts, and notes. The client opens one private link without creating an account, while the firm tracks missing and replacement items before preparation starts.
What does RequestFlow cost for an independent tax preparer?
RequestFlow costs $9 per month or $90 per year for one internal user. The Solo plan includes 25 active requests, 10 GB of storage, unlimited external clients, and a 30-day free trial with no card required.
Turn the checklist into one client-ready request.
Use professional judgment to tailor the list, then keep every upload connected to the item you requested.
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Copy the starter categories and remove anything outside this client's circumstances or engagement.
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Name each item with the tax year, form or record, and any file-format guidance.
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Send one private checklist link; the client uploads without a RequestFlow account.
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Review each item as received, accepted, or needing replacement.
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Follow up only on the documents and notes still missing before preparation begins.
Add the categories that match the client
A shorter relevant request is easier to complete than one universal list. Use these prompts as categories, not tax advice or a substitute for your organizer and interview process.
- New individual client
- Add identity and prior-return contextRequest only the identity details, prior returns, notices, and authorization records your engagement requires.
- Wage and investment client
- Add income and account formsInclude applicable W-2, 1099, K-1, retirement, Social Security, brokerage, and marketplace coverage forms.
- Self-employed client
- Add business supportInclude income summaries, payment-platform forms, expense records, asset purchases, vehicle or home-office support, and estimated payments as applicable.
- Rental or life-change client
- Add situation-specific recordsAsk about rental activity, property transactions, dependents, marriage or divorce, moves, notices, and other changes that affect the return.
Copyable tax client document checklist
- Prior-year federal and state returns, plus any current IRS or state notices
- Identity, dependent, and filing details required by your engagement—request no more sensitive data than necessary
- W-2, W-2G, 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-K, and other applicable earned-income forms
- 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, consolidated brokerage statements, cost-basis records, and K-1 forms
- 1099-R, SSA-1099, pension, annuity, unemployment, and other applicable benefit statements
- Form 1095-A and other health coverage records when applicable
- Mortgage interest, property tax, charitable contribution, education, childcare, and other applicable support
- Federal and state estimated-tax payment dates and amounts
- Self-employment income and expense summaries with supporting records requested by the preparer
- Business asset purchases, vehicle or mileage records, and home-office support when applicable
- Rental-property income, expenses, closing documents, and prior depreciation information when applicable
- Notes about marriage, divorce, dependents, moves, property transactions, foreign accounts, digital assets, or other material changes
Checklist, organizer, and RequestFlow each do a different job
- Use your organizer or interview process to gather tax questions, representations, and engagement-specific facts.
- Use RequestFlow when the collection problem is receiving a defined document packet and seeing which requested items are missing, accepted, or need replacement.
- Use tax preparation and e-signature software for return preparation, review, signatures, and filing; RequestFlow does not perform those jobs.
- Treat RequestFlow as one document-collection control within your practice's written security program, not as a compliance guarantee or permanent records archive.
Common questions
Does RequestFlow replace tax software?
RequestFlow does not replace tax software. It helps collect documents and track missing items before you prepare the return.
Is this checklist complete for every tax client?
No. It is a starter list of common document categories. The preparer must tailor it to the client's facts, engagement, jurisdiction, and professional judgment.
Do tax clients need an account to upload?
No. Clients open a private request link and upload against the checklist without creating a RequestFlow account.
Can clients send notes with files?
Yes. Clients can add notes and item-specific context with the requested file.
Does RequestFlow make a tax practice compliant?
No. RequestFlow supports document collection controls, while the practice remains responsible for its written security program, vendor review, policies, professional duties, and applicable legal requirements.
Try RequestFlow with one real client request.
Copy the categories into a reusable RequestFlow template, tailor the first request, and preview the no-account client upload before you send it.