How tax preparers request a Schedule K-1 from clients
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask each client with a stake in a partnership, LLC, S corporation, trust or estate for every Schedule K-1, with all pages and attached statements. K-1s often arrive after other tax forms, sometimes close to the filing deadline, so ask early which entities to expect and plan an extension if one is still missing.
Why tax preparers need a Schedule K-1
The K-1 carries the client’s share of the entity’s income, losses, deductions and credits onto Form 1040, mostly through Schedule E. The codes and attached statements matter as much as the boxes: they can show self-employment earnings, qualified business income information, foreign items or basis details. Filing without a K-1 you know is coming usually means amending later, so an extension is often the cleaner route.
What exactly to ask for
The complete K-1 package from each entity for the tax year: the federal K-1, any state K-1s, and every footnote or supplemental statement. Ask the client to list every partnership, S corporation, trust or estate they held an interest in, and for a contact at each entity, so you can ask about timing directly.
What to check when it arrives
- The form type matches the entity: K-1s from Form 1065, 1120-S and 1041 are read differently.
- Every code used in the boxes has its supporting statement attached, not only the first page.
- Basis and at-risk information from prior years is on file before you deduct a loss.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your Schedule K-1s: a list now, the forms as they come
Hi [Client name],
Do you own part of a partnership, LLC or S corporation, or receive income from a trust or estate? Each one sends a Schedule K-1, and I need every one, with all pages and statements attached, not just the first page.
K-1s often arrive later than other tax forms. Could you send me a list of the entities now, and forward each K-1 as soon as it reaches you? Ideally by [date]. If one is still missing near the deadline, we can file an extension rather than guess.
If you have a contact at an entity, their name helps me ask about timing.
Best, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a Schedule K-1 or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.