The very first thing you need to do, after making your appointment, is complete our online Appointment Intake Form!

We will use the data from this form to create your Intake/Interview Form, 13614-C or 13614-NR, which is required by law for all VITA clients. More information is provided at the above link.

If you haven't yet done so, please do so ASAP. If this form is not completed within three full business days of your appointment, your appointment will be canceled. This is because we will not have enough time to prepare these documents and investigate any issues that may arise relative to your circumstances. This is the most efficient and effective way for us to serve you!

To protect your identity and ensure that your personal information is accurate and secure, we will need to verify who you are. The IRS requires us to verify who you are with multiple forms of identity.

You are required to provide the following:

1. Photo Identification, such as a driver's license, passport, or state-issued ID card
2. Your (and your spouse's, if applicable) original social security card or other proof of your social security number, such as a statement from the Social Security Administration.
3. Identity Protection PIN, if one has been issued to you, your spouse, or your dependent by the IRS

You may also need:

1. If applicable, your spouse's full name, social security or tax ID number, and date of birth.
2. Bank routing and account numbers to receive your refund by direct deposit or pay your balance due if you choose.

Dependents are either a qualifying child or a qualifying relative of the taxpayer. The taxpayer’s spouse cannot be claimed as a dependent. Some examples of dependents include a child, stepchild, brother, sister, or parent.

Parents and caregivers should gather this information, as applicable

1. Dates of birth and social security numbers or tax ID numbers. Original social security cards for all individuals on the tax return are required.
2. Records of amounts paid for the care of children under the age of 13 or disabled dependents (including the provider's tax ID number) to allow you (and your spouse, if applicable) to work or look for work.
3. Income of dependents and of other adults in your home.
4. Form 8332 showing that the child's custodial parent is releasing their right to claim a child to you, the noncustodial parent.

Many of these forms won’t be needed to file taxes every year, however every one is required if it applies to you. For example, you will only receive the investment forms you need to file your taxes if you had distributions or other activity.

• Employed
  • Forms W-2 (one for each job you or your spouse worked)
  • If you work at UConn, you can access your W-2 via Core-CT at ess.uconn.edu.  After logging into Core-CT, in the center of the page under "Payroll" select "View W-2/W-2c Forms."
• Unemployed
  • Unemployment (1099-G)
• Retirement Income
  • Pension/IRA/annuity income (1099-R)
  • Traditional IRA basis (i.e., amounts you contributed to the IRA that were already taxed)
  • Social security/RRB income (SSA-1099, RRB-1099)
• Savings & Investments or Dividends
  • Interest, dividend income (1099-INT, 1099-DIV)
• Other Income & Losses
  • Gambling income (W-2G or records showing income, as well as expense records)
  • Jury duty records
  • Prizes and awards (1099-MISC, box 3)
  • Record of alimony paid/received with ex-spouse’s name and SSN
  • State tax refund (only required if you itemized your deductions on your prior year tax return)

The following items, while required for an accurate tax return, if applicable, are out of scope for our program. If you have any of these types of income we will not be able to complete your tax return.

• Self-Employed
  • Forms 1099, Schedules K-1, income records to verify amounts not reported on 1099-MISC or new 1099-NEC. This includes athletes receiving NIL income.
  • Records of all expenses — check registers or credit card statements, and receipts
  • Business-use asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation
  • Office in home information, if applicable
  • Record of estimated tax payments made (Form 1040–ES)
• Rental Income
  • Records of income and expenses
  • Rental asset information (cost, date placed in service, etc.) for depreciation
• Savings & Investments or Dividends
  • Income from sales of stock or other property (1099-B, 1099-S)
  • Dates of acquisition and records of your cost or other basis in property you sold (if basis is not reported on 1099-B)
  • Health Savings Account and long-term care reimbursements (1099-SA or 1099-LTC)
  • Expenses related to your investments
  • Transactions involving cryptocurrency (Virtual currency)
• Other Income & Losses
  • Hobby income and expenses
  • Trust income
  • Royalty Income 1099–MISC
  • Any other 1099s received

The types of deductions you can take depend a lot on your life situation. It’s likely you won’t need all of the documents listed below for your taxes.

• Educational Expenses
  • Forms 1098-T from educational institutions
    • Many UConn students will not receive a 1098-T. Students are required to provide their fee bills.
  • Receipts that itemize additional qualified educational expenses
  • Records of any scholarships or fellowships you received
  • Form 1098-E if you paid student loan interest
• K-12 Educator Expenses
  • Receipts for classroom expenses (for educators in grades K-12 who worked in the physical classroom for more than 900 hours during the tax year)
• State & Local Property Taxes paid may be eligible for a property tax credit on your state of Connecticut tax return, if you are a Connecticut Resident.
  • Invoice showing the amount of personal property tax paid on vehicles or real estate to municipalities in the state of Connecticut during the tax year.
• Retirement & Other Savings
  • Form 5498 showing IRA contributions
• Home Ownership
  • Receipts for energy-saving home improvements (e.g., solar panels, solar water heater)
• Charitable Donations
  • For years after 2021, charitable donations are only deductible if you itemize your deductions (see below), or if you are a nonresident alien. Such donations must be made to a qualifying organization.

The following items, while required for an accurate tax return, if applicable, are out of scope for our program. If you have any of these types of income we will not be able to complete your tax return.

Please note that generally speaking, itemizing your deductions is a good idea if the value of your itemized expenses is more than the value of the standard deduction. However, because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 more than doubled the standard deduction, most people who itemized their tax deductions prior to 2018 taxes will not benefit from itemizing their deductions on returns for 2018 and beyond.

• Home Ownership (only applicable to those who itemize their deductions)
  • Forms 1098 or other mortgage interest statements
  • Real estate and personal property tax records
• Charitable Donations [only applicable to those who itemize their deductions, however cash contributions of to $300 ($600 if married filing jointly) paid to qualified U.S. charitable organizations can be deducted by taxpayers who do not itemize.]
  • Records of non-cash charitable donations
  • Amounts of miles driven for charitable or medical purposes
• Medical Expenses (only applicable to those who itemize their deductions)
  • Amounts paid for healthcare, insurance, and to doctors, dentists, and hospitals
  • Health Insurance
  • Form 1095-A if you enrolled in an insurance plan through the Marketplace (Exchange)
• State & Local Taxes (except as noted above for the Connecticut income tax return, these types of taxes are only applicable to those who itemize their deductions)
  • Amount of state and local income or sales tax paid (other than wage withholding)
  • Invoice showing amount of vehicle sales tax paid and / or personal property tax on vehicles
• Retirement & Other Savings
  • Form 5498-SA showing HSA contributions

If you are temporarily present in the U.S. on an F, J, M, or Q visa, the following additional documentation and/or information is required if we are to complete your tax return.

• Your passport.
• All Forms 1042-S, Foreign Person's U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding
  • if you will be getting this form, we cannot complete your tax return until you have received it.  Please see our "How do I know if I'm getting a Form 1042-S" website to determine if you need to wait for this form.
  • If you are from a country with a treaty for both wage income and scholarship income, and you have both types of income, you will get two 1042-S forms. One will have code 20 (for wages) in box 1 and the other will have code 16 (for scholarship income) in box 1.