Every year I take the opportunity of owning a personal finance blog to organize my thoughts and paperwork for my upcoming CPA meeting. Could I do this in a word document? Sure, but why own a personal finance blog if I can’t ask others if they thought I missed anything.
While my family’s income isn’t much higher than the average family’s income our situation is absolutely more complicated. My CPA often jokes that I am one of his best prepared clients. I have thought about sending him this post but it isn’t worth explaining what a personal finance blog is!
I know it may be hard to offer an idea, but if you think I missed anything or have any thoughts please let me know!
My Family’s Income
- My W2
- My Wife’s 1099 – The wife is self employed and unincorporated
- My Wife’s corporate income records which owns this blog and a few other sites
- My small law practice income information
- My K-1 from my investment club
My Family’s Banking Information
- 1099s for my Savings Accounts
- 1099 for my Wife’s saving account
- 1099 for Joint Saving Accounts
- Escrow interest info from our mortgagee
My Family’s Investing Information
- 4 Fidelity Non-Qualified Account information (Reason I listed 4 was to see where we end up after next year)
- My Wife’s non-qualified investment account held at my employer
- My Traditional IRA information
- My Wife’s Roth IRA information
- My 401(k) should be included with my W2
My Family’s Deductions
- We bought our current home in January of 2013 so I have the information so that the CPA can determine what is and what is not deductible pursuant to Publication 530.
- Mortgage interest! and plenty of it
- Law school loan interest
- Charitable deductions
- A laundry list of things that may be deductible since part of our home is used as an office (interestingly enough a quick google search indicates that the IRS has provided yet another way to calculate the deductibility of home office expenses – again, going to let the CPA handle this):
- Electricity / Heating Costs / Gas Costs
- Internet & Phone
- Other Business expenses:
- Automobile costs
- Certain additional Insurances
See anything I may be missing?
I am sure you are aware that home offices are high on the list of flagging you for an audit.
I do all our income taxes online. Our taxes appear pretty simple compared to yours, though.