What to Bring with You BU

What to bring with you and do before your visit

GENERAL INFORMATION

If filing a joint return, both taxpayers need to attend the appointment where their return is picked up.

When the return is completed with one visit, both taxpayers should attend (if filing a joint return).

When the return requires two visits to complete (drop off or scan first), pickup later that day or a week later, only one taxpayer needs to attend the first appointment BUT both taxpayers need to sign the 14446 form in advance of the appointment or the return cannot be prepared. Both taxpayers should attend the second appointment so that the e-file authorization can be signed by both.

Due to Covid-19, only the taxpayer(s) should attend the appointments.

See each tax site’s information for more information.

Please review the Covid-19 Screen sheet before your appointment.

THINGS TO DO PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE TAX PREPARATION SITE

  1. Print and complete the Tax Year 2021 Intake Form. Do your best. We’ll help you if you get stuck on any of the questions.
    1. Read the 3 consent forms included with the Intake Booklet. If you and your spouse, if applicable, agree with the actions to be taken by AARP listed in forms, sign and date each form to which you are giving consent. You do not have to consent to all 3 forms. If filing a joint return, both taxpayers must consent. You are not required to consent to any form in order to have your taxes prepared and e-filed.

  2. Print and sign (taxpayer and spouse) form 14446 . This form authorizes us to prepare your tax return while you are not physically present with the volunteer preparer. If this form is not signed, we cannot prepare your tax return.
    1. Form 14446 for Chatham (links coming soon!)
    2. Form 14446 for Denville
    3. Form 14446 for Jefferson
    4. Form 14446 for Kinnelon
    5. Form 14446 for Madison
    6. Form 14446 for Morristown
    7. Form 14446 for Parsippany Community Center
    8. Form 14446 for Parsippany Library
    9. Form 14446 for Roxbury
    10. Form 14446 for Wharton
  3. Print and complete the applicable areas on the Itemized Deductions Worksheet . DO NOT bring in medical or charitable contribution receipts.
  4. Print and complete the Economic Impacts Payment Worksheet
  5. Print and complete the Education Credits Worksheet (if applicable)
  6. Print and complete the Self-Employed Schedule C Worksheet (if applicable)
  7. If you have unemployment compensation, you MUST print out the 1099-G document. You can find this document at: https://myunemployment.nj.gov/. You will need to sign into your unemployment account to retrieve the document. We cannot print this document for you. We cannot prepare your return without this form.

THINGS TO BRING WITH YOU TO YOUR TAX PREP APPOINTMENT

Remember to bring with you all of the following that apply to your situation.
Items in bold are required in order for us to prepare your return.

  1. Government issued photo ID for you and your spouse if filing a joint return
  2. Social Security document for you and every person claimed on your tax return.  This can be a Social Security Card, Form 1099-SSA if it contains your full Social Security Number or a letter from the Social Security Administration with your social security number on it.
  3. If you were issued a PIN by the IRS because of identity theft, bring the letter received from the IRS indicating the PIN. Your return will be rejected by the IRS without this number
  4. 2020 Tax Return. If AARP Tax-Aide did your last year’s return, bring the envelope we gave you with your return and all documents
  5. 2019 Tax Return if you claim earned income credit or child tax credit
  6. Economic Impact Payment Letter – IRS Letter 6475 received in late January 2022
  7. Advanced Child Tax Credit Letter – IRS Letter 6419 received in late December 2021 or January 2022. (Applies only to taxpayers who receive child tax credit)
  8. Bring any other notices received by the IRS or NJ including letter explaining adjustments made to your 2021 tax return due to the March 2021 tax law changes
  9. Checkbook if you want to direct deposit any refunds or direct pay any amounts owed.
  10. All of your current tax year income documents such as:
    • W-2 (Wages)
    • W-2G (Gambling winnings)
    • 1099 (Interest, dividends, security sales)
    • 1099-G (State income tax refund) You must get this online from the NJ Treasury by going to https://www1.state.nj.us/TYTR_Saver/jsp/TGI_1099/NJ1099Login.jsp
    • Unemployment compensation statements 1099G. You must get this online from NJ Unemployment by going to https://myunemployment.nj.gov/ (see above)
    • Social Security SSA-1099 or Railroad Retirement (RRB-1099 Tier 1 &2)
    • Amount of any Alimony received or paid and date of divorce agreement. If Alimony was paid, SSN for recipient(s) (may be on prior year return)
    • Brokerage statements
    • End of year pay stub (with breakdown of deductions, etc.) if applicable
    • Health insurance documents received from the government insurance marketplace, your employer and/or your insurance provider. 1095-A, 1095-B, 1095-C. 1095-A is required if insurance was purchased from the Marketplace.
    • Any other income documents.
  11. Additional tax documents or information such as::
    • PTR amount received in the current tax year and form PTR-1 or PTR-2 from last year and this year (if available). While we are not completing PTRs this year, we need your base property tax amount to complete your NJ tax return
    • Homestead Benefit amount credited to your property tax
    • Middle class tax rebate received from New Jersey
    • Forms and/or cancelled checks as a record of all Federal and State Taxes Paid in the current tax year including any estimated tax payments
    • Contributions to HSA (Form 5498-SA (if you have one) and distributions from an HSA (health savings account), if you have one (Form 1099-SA)
    • Child dependent care provider information
    • Mortgage interest statement (Form 1098)
    • Property tax statement and /or postcard from your local tax office or other records of property tax paid (should include Block, Lot and Qualifier);
    • Form 1098-T showing college costs paid and any scholarship amount
    • Purchased a new vehicle? (Bring documentation of sales tax)
    • Sold a home? (Bring closing documentation) If received, bring form 1099-S
    • Have debt from a credit card cancelled/forgiven by a commercial lender? (Bring 1099-C)
    • Receive a First Time Homebuyers Credit in 2008? (Bring repayment letter)
    • Amounts of Economic Impact Payments you may have received.  Use EIP Worksheet for help
    • Did you, your spouse or a dependent have Covid-19 related retirement/pension distribution in tax year 2020 that you completely or partially repaid in two year 2021? If so, how much did you repay?

HEALTH INSURANCE

The State of New Jersey requires that every person on the tax return have Minimum Essential Coverage health insurance or be eligible for an exemption. Be prepared to answer the following questions as part of the preparation of your tax return:

  1. Did you have health insurance coverage for you, your spouse, and all qualifying dependents for the entire current tax year? If not, for which months did you have health insurance coverage?
  2. Did you, your spouse, or any of your qualifying dependents purchase health insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace? If yes, you will need to bring form 1095-A which you should have received from The Marketplace.
  3. If you did not have health insurance that meets the Minimum Essential Coverage requirements for any month in the year, we will explore your eligibility for an exemption. If you do not qualify for an exemption, you will be required to make a Shared Responsibility Payment as part of your current year taxes.

Note: Medicare Part A and some Medicaid coverage qualifies as Minimum Essential Coverage.