Filing Requirement to E-File Your Tax Return

Filling Requirement is differ from case to case/ dependent on status. If you are individuals, business, partnership firm, small Corporation, or corporation.

Are You An Individual?

If you are individual and you wish to e-file your tax return than you need to have tax related documents together with you. Viz:

  • A copy of last years tax return
  • Personal identification (driver’s license, social security card) for you and your spouse, if applicable, showing the SSN(s)
  • The social security cards of your dependents, if applicable
  • The social security cards of your dependents, if applicable
  • Forms 1099 showing dividends and interest paid to you throughout the year.
  • Form 1099-G showing any refund, credit or offset of state and local taxes.
  • All receipts pertaining to your small business
  • Forms 1099-DIV, 1099-R
  • Income receipts from rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, s corporation, trusts
  • Unemployment Compensation
  • Social security benefits
  • Other Income

Itemized Deductions (Schedule A)

  • Medical and Dental expenses
  • Receipts from taxes you paid such as state and local taxes, real estate taxes, personal property taxes.
  • Form 1098 for home mortgage interest and points
  • Receipts for charitable contributions and gifts
  • Casualty and theft losses
  • Job expenses

Filing requirement for Paper Return.

FORM 1040 Requirements:

If you are filing a federal income tax return on paper, use the simplest form you can, the IRS advises. The simpler the form, the less chance of an error that may cost you money or delay the processing of your return. The simplest is Form 1040EZ. Form 1040A covers several additional items not addressed by the EZ. Form 1040 should be used when itemizing deductions and reporting more complex investments and other income. Beginning in 2019, the income limit for using Forms 1040EZ and 1040A has increased to taxable income of less than $100, 000, up from previous years’ limit of less than $50,000.

Which Forms When To Use/ Applicable?

  • 1040EZ
    1. Taxable income below $100,000
    2. Single or Married Filing Jointly
    3. Under age 65
    4. No dependents
    5. Interest income of $1,500 or less
  • 1040A
    1. Taxable income below $100,000
    2. Capital gain distributions, but no other capital gains or losses
    3. Only tax credits for child, education, earned income, child and dependent care expenses, adoption, elderly and retirement savings contributions
    4. Only deductions for IRA contributions, student loan interest, educator expenses or higher education tuition and fees
    5. No itemized deductions
  • 1040
    1. Taxable income of $100,000 or more
    2. Itemized deductions
    3. Self-employment income
    4. Income from sale of property

If you cannot use either a 1040EZ or 1040A, you probably need a regular 1040. You can use the 1040 to report all types of income, deductions, and credits. You may have been mailed a 1040A or 1040EZ tax package this year based on the return you filed last year. If your situation has changed this year, it may be to your advantage to file a 1040 instead. For example, you may pay less tax by filing a 1040 because you have enough deductions to itemize this year.

General Information:

You can use Form 1040EZ if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

  • Filing status is single or married filing jointly.
  • You do not claim any dependents.
  • You do not claim a deduction for Educator expense, the student loan interest deduction, or the tuition and fees deduction.
  • You do not claim an education credit, the retirement savings contributions credit, or the health insurance credit for eligible recipients.
  • You (and your spouse if filing a joint return) were under age 65 and not blind at the end of 2017.
  • Your taxable income is less than $50,000.
  • You had only wages, salaries, tips, taxable scholarship or fellowship grants, unemployment compensation, or Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends, and your taxable interest was not over $1,500.
  • You did not receive any advance earned income credit payments.
  • You do not owe any household employment taxes on wages you paid to a household employee.
  • No itemized deductions.

Don’t be overwhelmed, this list is just illustrative list to help you get prepared and e-file your tax return and is not all-inclusive.