Are You Sure You Got All Your Tax Forms? Here’s How to Double-Check Before You File

Did You Get Every Tax Form You Need? How to Avoid Filing Headaches Before You Submit

Your inbox is probably overflowing with emails saying, “Your tax documents are ready!”—but are you sure you have everything you need? Every year, people rush to file, only to realize they’re missing a key tax form that could lead to IRS headaches down the road. Before you hit submit, double-check your situation against this list to make sure no form got lost in the shuffle. Photo by Fergus Owen.

Right now, your inbox is probably full of emails with subject lines like Your tax documents are ready! You might even have a tidy little folder on your desktop with PDFs from your employer, your bank, and your investment accounts. You think you have everything you need to file your taxes.

But are you sure?

Every year, plenty of people rush to file their taxes, only to realize—sometimes in April, sometimes months later when the IRS sends them a surprise letter—that they were missing a tax form. And given the stellar (read: deeply broken) state of IRS customer service and the general misery of having to amend a return, this is a mistake you want to avoid.

So before you hit submit, let’s walk through a few common scenarios and the tax forms that should come with them. If any of these sound like you, double-check that you’ve received the right documents—or go hunting for them before you file.

Did You Earn Interest on a Bank Account?

If you made more than $10 in interest from a bank account, you should receive a 1099-INT. This is especially relevant if you have a high-yield savings account—after years of earning pennies on your balance, you might now be earning enough to actually matter at tax time.

Even if the amount seems small, the IRS still expects you to report it. And, fun fact: If you don’t, they’ll probably find out anyway, because banks send copies of 1099-INTs directly to the IRS.

Did You Sell Stocks, Crypto, or Other Investments?

If you sold investments last year—whether it was a handful of shares of Tesla or some crypto you forgot about from 2021—you should receive a 1099-B from your brokerage.

This form documents:

• The date you bought and sold the investment

• How much you originally paid for it (cost basis)

• How much you sold it for (proceeds)

That information determines whether you made a profit (which you owe taxes on) or took a loss (which might offset other gains). Also, keep an eye on the holding period:

• If you held the investment for over a year, you get the lower long-term capital gains tax rate.

• If you held it for less than a year, you’re taxed at the higher short-term capital gains rate, which is the same as ordinary income.

Brokerages should get this right, but they don’t always. If your form says you held something for six months, but you know you’ve had it for years, it’s worth checking in—because their mistake could mean a higher tax bill for you.

Were You Laid Off and Collected Unemployment?

If you received unemployment benefits in 2023, expect a 1099-G. Unlike those stimulus checks we all miss dearly, unemployment is taxable income, and the IRS will be looking for it on your return.

If you elected to have taxes withheld from your unemployment payments, you might be in better shape. If not, prepare to settle up.

Did a Credit Card Company or Lender Cancel Some of Your Debt?

Let’s say you owed $5,000 on a credit card, and after some negotiation, the company agreed to let you settle the balance for $2,000. That’s great—except the $3,000 that was “forgiven” is now considered taxable income.

You should receive a 1099-C, which reports canceled debt. The IRS sees this as money you technically received even though it never hit your bank account. If you don’t report it, they will notice.

Student loan forgiveness under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is not taxable, so you won’t receive a tax form for that. But if your balance was forgiven through certain income-driven repayment plans, the forgiven amount might be taxable—so keep an eye out for a tax form documenting it.

Did You Do Freelance Work or Side Gigs?

If you made over $600 from contract work, you should receive a 1099-NEC from whoever paid you.

If you run a small business or sell products online, and you were paid via platforms like PayPal, Stripe, or Etsy, you might also receive a 1099-K from your payment processor. The IRS loves cracking down on this stuff, so if you earned money outside of a traditional job, don’t assume it went unnoticed.

Did You Take Money Out of a Retirement Account?

This one might surprise you: A 1099-R isn’t just for retirees. If you did anything that involved money leaving a retirement account—whether it was a withdrawal, a Roth conversion, or even correcting an excess contribution—you’ll get a 1099-R documenting it.

That taxable Roth conversion you did last year? Expect a 1099-R for the conversion and a Form 5498 showing the contribution into the Roth. You don’t need Form 5498 to file your return, but it’s worth keeping on hand as documentation.

Did You Contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Withdraw From One?

• If you contributed to an HSA, your contributions should show up on Form 5498-SA.

• If you used HSA funds for medical expenses, you’ll get a 1099-SA to document those withdrawals.

What If You’re Missing a Tax Form?

If you think you should have received a form but haven’t yet, double-check online. Many banks and brokerages won’t send paper forms, so you may need to download them from your account. If that fails, call the institution and ask.

If you file without a form you should have received, you might have to amend your return later—which is a massive pain and not something you want to deal with in the middle of summer.

One Last Thing: The IRS Is Still a Mess

Due to underfunding and chronic dysfunction, the IRS is still working through a backlog of past returns and not answering phone calls with any level of efficiency. That means fixing mistakes will take forever, and if you mess up something on your return, it might take months (or years) to resolve.

So before you file, take a moment. Review your documents. Make sure you’re not missing anything. Your future self will thank you.