When you're getting your tax documents ready, it's helpful to follow a checklist to make sure you've got everything you need. There are hundreds of tax forms and thousands of tax situation, so this checklist doesn't cover them all. But it's a great basic list to follow when you're getting together a simple tax return:

• Personal information for all people being included on the tax return, including social security numbers
  
• W-2s for wages
• 1099s for small business or subcontractor income
• 1099s for interest or dividends received
• Information on last year's state tax refund
• Information on sales of stocks
• Retirement account contributions
• Education costs for college or graduate school
  
• Medical expenses, including health insurance paid
• Items related to your home: mortgage interest, property taxes
• Charitable contributions
• Child care expense details (provider, tax i.d. number, total paid)
  
• State or federal estimated taxes paid last year
• Small Business - Information on your income and expenses if you will be filing Schedule C
• Rental Properties - Information on your income and expenses if you will be filing Schedule E
  

If you're using a professional tax preparer, they can provide you with a "tax organizer" which is a long questionnaire that will help you gather all the documents you'll need.

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Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.