• Gather what you need before starting your taxes.tax forms image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
  
  Although many tax rules may change between years, the documents you will need generally do not. Gather together all of these necessary documents before you begin preparing your taxes to avoid frustration during the process. The exact documents you need will depend on what your sources of income and expenses have been over the past year but there are several categories of documents that are common.
  
  

Personal Information

• You will need your current address as well as all other addresses you have lived at during the previous year. You will also need your Social Security number, your spouse's Social Security number and those of your children.
  
  

Income

• You will need documents for every type of income you received over the past year. This includes W-2s; 1099-G forms which list unemployment received; and 1099-Rs, which lists pensions and annuities. You will also need records for any scholarships or fellowships you received and for any state or local taxes that were refunded to you. Finally, you will need any other documents of miscellaneous income you may be gotten over the past year.
  
  

Property

• If you have a mortgage, you will need the 1098 form, which details the interest you have paid on a mortgage, and documentation of any real estate taxes you paid this year. If you sold a home or other real estate you will need the 1099-S from that sale. You will also need the record for any vehicles you own.
  
  

Investments

• If you have any investments, you will need the 1099 forms related to them. For regular interest you will have a 1099-INT. If you own stock and received dividends you will have a 1099-DIV. If you received any distributions from a retirement plan you will need the 1099-R. Finally, if you paid any brokerage fees you will need the 1099-B.
  
  

Student Loan Interest

• You will need documentation of any interest you paid on student loans because it is deductible.
  
  

Deductibles

• If you plan to itemize your deductions, you will need documents for each item you plan to deduct. This includes records of gifts to charities, for which you will need receipts if any single gift exceeded $250; medical expenses that were not reimbursed; and a record of any tuition or fees you paid for higher education.
  
  

Self-Employment

• If you were self-employed at any point during the previous year you may have received a 1099-MISC from the person who paid you. If so, you will need that document. Otherwise, you will need your personal records of your income, as well as your records of any expenses related to your self-employment activities.