What Tax Forms Do I Need

Should You File Early

Many American taxpayers wait until the April 15 deadline to complete and file their taxes. However, if procrastination stresses you outor if you’re expecting a refund and you want it as soon as possibleyou can file your 2021 return as early as Jan. 24, 2022.

Another reason to file early is to reduce the risk of someone stealing your identity to file a false return using your Social Security Number and claim a fraudulent refund.

Which 2020 Tax Forms Do I File

If you don’t know which federal tax forms to file, start by downloading the 2020 Form 1040 and the 2020 1040 Instructions. The instructions will tell you if you need to file, and, when you need to download additional forms. In general, you will skip the line items that do not apply to you.

Any US resident taxpayer can file Form 1040 for tax year 2020. The short Form 1040A and easy Form 1040EZ have been discontinued by the IRS. Nonresident taxpayers will file the 2020 Form 1040-NR. Commonwealth residents will file either Form 1040-SS or Form 1040-PR.

If you need to amend a federal income tax return, file Form 1040X.

What Are The 1095

If you or a member of your family enrolled in health insurance coverage through a government-run marketplace in 2020, the marketplace should send you a 1095-A form. The form shows the months of coverage purchased through the marketplace and any Premium Tax Credit the insurance company received from the government to help cover your premiums. If you are eligible for the Premium Tax Credit, received your insurance through a qualified marketplace and did not have the credit paid out throughout the year directly to your health insurance provider, you should file an 8962 form to receive reimbursements.

Best for:People who bought private health insurance on government-run marketplaces.

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What Are 1099 Forms

1099-G: States will send both you and the federal government a 1099-G form at the beginning of the year, which shows income you received from that state during the previous tax year. The income can include:

• Unemployment compensation.
• State or local income tax refunds, credits or offsets.
• Reemployment trade adjustment assistance payments.
• Taxable grants.
• Agricultural payments.

You will receive a 1099-G in 2021 from any state that gave you money in 2020. This form is where the unemployment compensation you received is listed. Remember: If you made less than $150,000 in 2020, only unemployment benefits over $10,200 are taxable. If taxes were withheld from your unemployment insurance checks, this will be reflected in your 1099-G form.

Best for:People who received unemploymentcompensation.

1099-MISC and 1099-NEC: For tax year 2020 or a prior year, entities or people who have paid you money during the year will mail you a 1099-MISC form for miscellaneous income. If youre a freelancer or a contract worker, you can expect to receive a 1099 form in the mail for each of the people or companies you worked for. Starting with tax year 2020, freelancers will receive the new Form 1099-NEC. There are a number of other reasons you might receive a 1099-MISC form, including if you received monetary prizes or awards, or were paid royalties or rent. Youll use the form to file your own taxes.

Best for:Freelancers, contract workers or anyone who receives miscellaneous income.

Forms To Report Your Income

If you’re working as an employee, your employer is required to send you a W-2 form by the end of January in following the tax year. The W-2 reports the amount of income you made and how much the employer withheld from your paycheck for taxes. This will help you determine whether you need to write the IRS a check when you mail in your Form 1040, or if you should start thinking about how to spend your refund.

Independent contractors might receive a 1099 form from their clients, which reports annual payments received from them, but does not usually include any tax withholding.

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Form T5013 Partnership Information Return

Self-employed individuals that run their business as a partnership will need to complete additional tax documents for their returnsnamely, form T5013, the partnership information return.

All types of partners must file this return, including limited partnerships and nominees and agents holding an interest in the partnership. If you own an interest in the partnership, then Form T5013SUM, Summary of Partnership Income, must also be completed and filed. The only type of partners that are exempt from filing this partnership information return for their taxes are Status Indians.

How Often The Irs Changes Its Tax Forms

The IRS has to update many of its forms annually. Even if the forms content doesnt change, the form needs to state the current year so taxpayers can be confident theyre filing the correct paperwork and calculating the right amount of tax due. The IRS updates its forms because of new laws or guidance, new addresses or phone numbers, or the need to make a correction or clarification.

A big reason for tax form changes is new legislation, such as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This legislation required the IRS to create new 1040 forms and new schedules. , standard deductions, itemized deductions, and more changed under the law. Another major piece of legislation, the Affordable Care Act, necessitated changes to tax forms because of the subsidies, penalties, and new taxes the law mandated.

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More Health Care Statements

If you or someone in your family had health coverage in 2016, you will get a 1095 form. There are three versions.

Form 1095-A If you, your spouse or a dependent enrolled in health insurance through a state or federal exchange, also referred to as the marketplace, you should receive Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. The information on this new form is needed to complete Form 8962 and calculate your correct premium tax credit amount.

Only individuals who bought medical insurance through the marketplace will receive this new form. If you do not get your Form 1095-A, contact the marketplace from which you purchased your coverage.

Form 1095-B This form confirms that you, your spouse and your dependents had at least minimum qualifying health insurance coverage for some or all months of the prior tax year. Form 1095-B is sent by your health care insurer and/or your employer if the company has fewer than 50 full-time employees. Individuals who dont have minimum essential coverage may have to make an individual shared responsibility payment.

Form 1095-C This form is the version used by large employers to notify employees that they, their spouses and dependents had minimum essential coverage for all or part of the prior tax year. This verification will help taxpayers avoid the penalty for not having coverage, known as the shared responsibility payment.

You May Mail A Paper Return

Directions to print forms:

1. Click on the folders below to find forms and instructions. You can also search for a file. If you click on a folder and run a search, it will only search that folder.

2. Click a form to print it.

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You can also find printed forms:

• At your local District Office. See the CONTACT US link at the top of this page.
• At your local library. Over 100 libraries across the state have ordered supplies of personal income tax forms to make available to the public, or
• You can call 1-866-285-2996 to order forms to be mailed.

Browse or Search Forms

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When Sending In Form 8453 Don’t Include:

• Any form or document that isnt listed on Form 8453 next to the checkboxes. If youre required to mail in any documentation that isnt listed on Form 8453, you cant e-file your tax return.
• A copy of your electronically-filed Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, or 1040-SS. If you attach a copy of your e-filed federal return, you run the risk of it becoming separated from the rest of your documentation during processing, and then having it processed as a new, original return. You could spend months unraveling the mess this would cause.
• Forms W-2, W-2G, or 1099-R.
• Payment. Instead, mail any payment associated with your return by the due date of your return, with Form 1040-V to the IRS at the applicable address shown on Form 1040-V

Once youve e-filed your federal tax return using TurboTax, mail Form 8453 and all appropriate documentation to the IRS within three business days after youve received your acknowledgment that the IRS has accepted your return.

Mail Form 8453 to:

Attn: Shipping and Receiving, 0254

Receipt and Control Branch

Individual Tax Forms And Instructions

We offer several ways for you to obtain Maryland tax forms, booklets and instructions:

You can also file your Maryland return online using our free iFile service.

Do Not Send

• Federal forms or schedules unless requested.
• Any forms or statements not requested.
• Returns by fax.
• Returns completed in pencil or red ink.
• Returns with bar codes stapled or destroyed.

• Learn about Adobe Fill-In Forms

Fill-out forms allow you to enter information into a form while it is displayed on your computer screen and then print out the completed form. You must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.1 , which is available for free online. You can also print out the form and write the information by hand. Fill-out forms are better than hand written forms because they offer a cleaner and crisper printout for your records and are easier for us to process.

IMPORTANT: The Acrobat Reader does not allow you to save your fill-out form to disk. To do so, you must have the full Adobe Acrobat 4.1 product suite, which can be purchased from Adobe. Maryland fill-out forms use the features provided with Acrobat 3.0 products. There is no computation, validation or verification of the information you enter, and you are fully responsible for the accuracy of all required information.

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Which Form Should Be Used

In addition to completing the federal TD1:

• Employees who claim more than the basic personal amount have to complete the TD1 that corresponds to their province or territory of employment. To determine which is the province or territory of employment, go to Which provincial or territorial tax tables should you use?
• Pensioners who claim more than the basic personal amount have to complete the TD1 that corresponds to their province or territory of residence.
• Individuals paid by commissions and who claim expenses can elect to use Form TD1X, Statement of Commission Income and Expenses for Payroll Tax Deductions, to take into consideration the expenses in the calculation of their income tax.

  Note

Who Is Required To File

I just moved to Virginia this year. Do I have to file? If so, which form?

For information regarding the thresholds for filing in Virginia, refer to Who Must File on this website. The “What Form Should I File?” tool is helpful in determining which form you may need to file as a Virginia resident.

I am under the filing threshold but had Virginia tax withheld that I would like to have refunded. Am I still required to file?

Yes, to receive a refund you must file a return. For information on which form to file please refer to “What Form Should I File?”

I am an active duty Military member who is currently stationed in Virginia. Am I required to file?

Virginia taxes the taxable pay of military service personnel with a Virginia Home of Record. If you are a legal resident of another state who is currently stationed in Virginia, your military income is not taxable in Virginia. However, if you have non-military income from Virginia sources, such as an off-base job, you may be required to file a Virginia return.

I am a military spouse. Am I required to file?

If you were married to an active duty service member who was in Virginia pursuant to military orders and you were in Virginia solely to be with your spouse, you may be eligible for a Military Spouse Exemption in Virginia pursuant to the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act.

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Learn Which Credits And Deductions You Can Take

Getting a sense of which can help you pull together the proper documentation. Here are a few to consider:

• Savers credit. If you are not a full-time student and are not being claimed as a dependent, you may be eligible for a tax credit if you contribute to a retirement plan. The amount of the credit depends on your filing status and adjusted gross income. For the 2022 tax year, if your filing status is single, you may be eligible if your adjusted gross income is $34,000 or less. If you are married and are filing jointly, you may be eligible if your adjusted gross income is $68,000 or less. However, these numbers are subject to change in future tax years.
• Student loan interest. You can deduct up to $2,500 in interest payments, depending on your modified adjusted gross income.
• Charitable deductions. Donating to your alma mater or a favorite charity? Generally, you can deduct qualified charitable donations if you itemize your taxes.
• Freelance expenses. If you are self-employed, you may be able to claim deductions for work-related expenses such as industry subscriptions and office supplies.

If you think you may qualify for additional credits or deductions, check the IRS website.

How Income Tax Works

Federal and Ontario income taxes are paid to the Canada Revenue Agency , which is part of the federal government.

Income tax is commonly taken off your pay by your employer, or off your pension, and sent directly to the CRA. You may also have to calculate the tax you owe and send a payment to the CRA.

Each year, you should file a tax return with the CRA to:

• report the income you’ve made
• ensure you’ve paid the correct amount of income tax
• access tax credits and benefits

Learn more about how much tax you should pay on each portion of your income.

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Heres A Quick Checklist Summary To Get You Started:

• W-2 Report of wage and salary information.
• 1040 U.S. individual income tax return.
• 1099 Self-employed income report.
• Schedule C Used to report income or from a business.
• Schedule SE Used to figure the tax due on net earnings from self-employment.
• 1098 Tells you how much you paid in mortgage interest.
• Record of any taxes paid throughout the year
• Prior year tax return.
• Any info about foreign bank accounts.
• Any info about investment accounts and other assets.
• Any tax software you want to use.

Your State May Also Require You To Submit Forms

The federal government isnt the only government that taxes you or that requires you to submit forms. If you live in a state with an individual income tax and youre required to file, your state will have its own rules regarding paperwork you must submit when you file your state taxes.

The Federation of Tax Administrators has links to appropriate state tax forms for each of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

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Standard Deductions On Form 1040

The 1040 income section asks taxpayers for their filing status. This filing determines the taxpayer’s standard deduction. New, higher standard deduction introduced with the Tax and Job Cuts Act. For the tax year 2021, which will be filed in 2022, the numbers are as follows:

• Single or married filing separately, $12,550
• Head of household, $18,800

An additional deduction may be taken by those who are age 65 or older or blind :

• Single and not widowed, $1,700

For tax year 2022 , these deductions are as follows:

• Single or married filing separately, $12,950
• or a qualifying widow, $25,900
• Head of household, $19,400

The standard deduction cannot be taken by an estate or trust, an individual who is filing a short return due to a change in accounting periods, an individual who was a nonresident alien part of the tax year, or a married individual whose spouse is filing separately and itemizing.

Tax Situations Requiring A Specific Return Or Form

In certain cases, you will need to complete a specific tax return. These exceptions may be based on your residential ties or changes to your tax situation.

• You were a Quebec resident on December 31, 2021

  You will also need to file aprovincial income tax return for Quebec.

• You are filing a return for a person who died in 2021

  For details: What to do when someone has died
• You left Canada permanently in 2021

• Use the income tax package for the province or territory with your most important residential ties.

  For example, if you usually live in Ontario, but were going to school in Quebec, use the income tax package for Ontario.

• You lived outside of Canada on December 31, 2021, but kept residential ties with Canada

  Factual resident

• Income tax and benefit package for non-residents and deemed residents of Canada

This may also apply to your spouse or common-law partner, dependant children, and other family members.

Use the Income tax and benefit package for non-residents and deemed residents of Canada.

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