What documents you'll need to file
How the tax questionnaire works — your answers tell us exactly which documents to request, so you only gather what applies to you.
What documents you'll need to file
There's no fixed master list of documents to chase down. Instead, your tax questionnaire decides what we ask for. As you answer each question, your specific answer opens a matching document request — so the only paperwork you ever see is the paperwork that actually applies to you.
Answer X → we ask you to upload document Y. You don't get asked for everything — you get asked for the documents your answers point to.
How your answers become document requests
Your questionnaire isn't a flat checklist; it's a smart one. Each answer can open a request that shows up in your File Requests. A few examples:
- Answer Yes to "Does your business file taxes in Texas?" → we request your Texas Webfile ID.
- A No can trigger a request too — answer No to "Do we have the partnership operating agreement?" → we ask for the Operating Agreement.
- Some questions let you pick more than one option, and each choice can open its own request — for health-care coverage, Marketplace → 1095-A, employer → 1095-C.
The upside is simple: if something doesn't apply to you, answer it that way and no request appears. New requests show up in real time as you work through the questionnaire, so it's normal to see your document list grow while you answer.
What we tend to ask for, by return type
The questions — and therefore the documents — differ depending on whether you're filing a personal or business return. Here's the high-level shape so you know what to expect.
Personal returns
Driven by your 1040 questionnaire (with a Schedule E section if you have rental or royalty income). Depending on your answers, common requests include:
- Identity & status — driver's license; spouse's license if married; a marriage certificate or divorce decree if your status changed this year.
- Income — W-2s, 1099-NEC income, gambling (W-2G), and investment forms like a 1099-B or consolidated 1099 if you sold stocks; crypto details if you bought or sold crypto.
- Health & retirement — a 1095-A/B/C depending on your coverage; HSA forms; 1099-R and Form 5498 for rollovers or distributions.
- Family & life changes — dependent records, adoption paperwork, and documents tied to property sales, education, or foreign accounts.
Rental property (Schedule E)
If you have rental or royalty income, your Schedule E answers drive their own requests — for example, purchase documents for a property you bought this year, a 1099-MISC for royalty income, or home-office paperwork depending on whether you own or rent.
The rental (Schedule E) questions are answered fresh for each filing year, so expect to confirm these annually even if little has changed. More on that in Completing your tax questionnaire.
Business returns
Driven by your Business Tax Questionnaire. Depending on your answers, common requests include:
- Formation & ownership — articles of organization or incorporation and your EIN letter if you haven't filed with us before; a cap table for multiple owners; LLC articles for a single member.
- People you pay — W-2s if you have employees; your filed 1099s or your contractors' W-9s, depending on who handles the filing.
- State filing — items like a Texas Webfile ID when you file in states that need them.
- Tax-only clients — either access to your QBO file or your prior-year financial reports, depending on how your books are kept.
You won't be asked for all of this
The lists above are the full range of what's possible — not what any one person uploads. Because every request is generated from your own answers, most filers only see a handful. Answer honestly and completely, and your document list will reflect exactly your situation and nothing more.
It's fine to leave a comment on the question rather than guess. Your tax contact would much rather clarify up front than sort out a wrong document later.