Client Tax Organizer Template (2026 Tax Year)

A tax organizer is the questionnaire a tax preparer sends each client before the return: who is on it, what happened in the year, and which forms to gather. This one covers the 2026 tax year (filed in 2027) and follows the IRS intake sheet, Form 13614-C (Rev. 10-2026), in its order. Download it as a fillable, printable PDF or a Word file for your client, or as an Excel tracker for you. Some firms call it a tax intake form; same document. Each answer names the document to expect, and that list can go out as one upload request.

For tax preparers, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents sending clients an annual organizer for an individual (Form 1040) return. Last updated October 2026.

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Free, no email asked. Same questions in every file.

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The organizer: questions for your client

Each answer names the document to expect. The documents below are the files to collect; the answers stay in the organizer file you send.

About you and your spouse

  • Full name, date of birth, and job title for you and your spouse
  • Mailing address, phone number, and email address
  • Did you live in two or more states in 2026? If yes, note the dates you moved.
  • Can anyone else claim you or your spouse on their tax return?
  • In 2026, were you or your spouse a U.S. citizen, in the U.S. on a visa, a full-time student, legally blind, or totally and permanently disabled?Send: Picture ID for you and your spouse
  • Did the IRS issue you, your spouse, or a dependent an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)?Send: The current-year IP PIN (the IRS issues a new one each year)
  • Did you or your spouse own, sell, or receive digital assets in 2026?Send: Form 1099-DA if a broker issued one, and your own record of each sale
  • How you want a refund paid: direct deposit, split between accounts, or a paper checkSend: Bank routing and account number (a voided check works)
  • If you owe: pay from a bank account, or another way (say which)Send: Bank routing and account number, if you pay from a bank account
  • Would you like letters from the IRS in a language other than English?

Marital status and household

  • Your marital status on December 31, 2026: never married, married, divorced, legally separated, or widowed
  • If married, did you and your spouse live apart for the last six months of 2026?
  • If divorced, separated, or widowed: the date of the decree, or the year your spouse died
  • Everyone who lived with you in 2026 (other than your spouse), and anyone you supported who did notSend: Social Security cards or ITIN letters for everyone on the return
  • For each person: date of birth, relationship to you, and months lived in your home
  • Were any of them a full-time student, totally and permanently disabled, or issued an IP PIN?Send: The current-year IP PIN for each dependent who has one

Dependents and credits

  • Did you pay for child or dependent care in 2026?Send: A receipt or statement from each provider showing its name, address, TIN or EIN, and the amount you paid
  • Did you, your spouse, or a dependent take college or other educational classes?Send: Form 1098-T from each school
  • Did you pay interest on a student loan?Send: Form 1098-E from each lender
  • Has the IRS ever disallowed your Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, or head of household status?Send: The IRS letter you received

Income

  • Did you work as an employee in 2026?Send: Form W-2 from each employer
  • Did you earn overtime pay?Send: Pay stubs or a year-end payroll summary showing overtime, from each employer
  • Did you receive tips?Send: The Form W-2, 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, or 1099-K that shows them, plus your daily or weekly tip log
  • Did you get any tips you did not report to your employer?Send: Your tip log (your preparer uses it for Form 4137)
  • Did you receive retirement, pension, or annuity payments, or take money out of an IRA?Send: Form 1099-R from each payer
  • Did you receive disability benefits?Send: Form 1099-R or Form W-2 for the benefits
  • Did you receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits?Send: Form SSA-1099 or Form RRB-1099
  • Did you receive unemployment benefits?Send: Form 1099-G for unemployment
  • Did you get a state or local tax refund in 2026?Send: Form 1099-G for the refund, plus last year’s return (it shows whether you itemized)
  • Did you earn interest or dividends?Send: Form 1099-INT and Form 1099-DIV from each bank or broker
  • Did you sell stocks, bonds, funds, or other investments?Send: Form 1099-B and the year-end brokerage statement
  • Did you report a capital loss on last year’s return?Send: Last year’s return (it shows the carryover)
  • Did you receive alimony?Send: Your divorce decree or separation agreement
  • Did you rent out a home, a room, or personal property such as a vehicle? If yes, fill in the rental property schedule.
  • Did you have gambling winnings, including lottery or raffle prizes?Send: Form W-2G from each payer
  • Were you paid for contract, freelance, or self-employment work? If yes, fill in the self-employed schedule.Send: Form 1099-NEC from each client
  • Did you earn money driving for a rideshare app or delivering food or groceries? If yes, fill in the rideshare and delivery schedule.Send: Form 1099-K or 1099-NEC from each app
  • Did you receive a Schedule K-1 from a partnership, S corporation, trust, or estate?Send: Schedule K-1 from each one
  • Did you receive any other money in 2026, such as cash payments, jury duty pay, awards, royalties, or strike benefits?Send: Form 1099-MISC if one was issued, or your own record of what you received

Deductions, adjustments, and life events

  • Did you pay mortgage interest on your home?Send: Form 1098 from each lender
  • Did you pay real estate taxes, or state or local taxes outside your paycheck?Send: Property tax bills, and records of any state or local tax you paid directly
  • Did you pay medical or dental bills that insurance did not cover?Send: Receipts or statements from each provider and pharmacy
  • Did you give money or goods to charity?Send: Receipts or acknowledgment letters from each charity
  • Did you put money into an IRA, 401(k), or other retirement account?Send: Form 5498 or your contribution records
  • Are you a teacher or other educator who paid for classroom supplies?Send: Receipts for the supplies
  • Did you pay alimony? If yes, note the recipient’s Social Security number.Send: Your divorce decree or separation agreement
  • Did you have a health savings account (HSA)?Send: Form 5498-SA and Form 1099-SA
  • Did you buy a new car, SUV, van, pickup, or motorcycle for personal use with a loan?Send: Form 1098-VLI or the lender’s statement of interest paid, plus the purchase contract showing the VIN
  • Were you or your spouse 65 or older at the end of 2026? Your date of birth covers it; there is nothing extra to send.
  • Did you have a baby or adopt a child in 2026?Send: The child’s Social Security card, and adoption records if you adopted
  • Did you sell a home?Send: Form 1099-S and the closing statement for the sale
  • Did you buy a home?Send: The closing statement for the purchase, and Form 1098
  • Did you have health insurance through the Marketplace (HealthCare.gov or a state exchange)?Send: Form 1095-A
  • Was any of your debt cancelled or forgiven?Send: Form 1099-C (or Form 1099-A for a foreclosure)
  • Did you have a loss in a federally declared disaster area?Send: Form 1099-A if issued, plus insurance claim and repair records
  • Did you receive a letter or bill from the IRS?Send: The IRS letter or bill
  • Did you make estimated tax payments, or apply last year’s refund to 2026? If yes, note the date and amount of each.Send: Payment confirmations or bank records for each payment
  • Is this your first year with this preparer?Send: Last year’s federal and state tax returns

Self-employed and small business (Schedule C)

  • Business name, EIN if you have one, and what the business does
  • Did you start, stop, or change the business in 2026? If yes, note the date.
  • Did clients or payment apps send you a Form 1099?Send: Form 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, or 1099-K from each payer
  • Your total business income for 2026, including payments that came with no formSend: Your own income record (invoices or a sales log)
  • Your business expenses by category: advertising, car and truck, contract labor, insurance, legal and professional fees, office, rent, repairs, supplies, taxes and licenses, travel, meals, utilities, otherSend: Business bank and credit card statements, or a profit and loss statement
  • Did you use part of your home for the business? If yes, note the square footage of the office and of the whole home.Send: Rent or mortgage interest statements and utility bills for the home
  • Did you buy equipment, furniture, or a vehicle for the business? If yes, note the business-use share of each.Send: Purchase receipts or invoices for each item
  • Did you drive your own vehicle for the business?Send: A written mileage log: dates, business miles, and total miles for the year
  • Did you make estimated tax payments for the business? If yes, note the date and amount of each.Send: Payment confirmations or bank records for each payment

Rideshare and delivery drivers (rideshare tax organizer)

  • The apps you drove or delivered for in 2026Send: Form 1099-K or 1099-NEC from each app you drove for
  • Did any app not send you a Form 1099?Send: The year-end earnings summary from that app (all income counts, with or without a form)
  • Your miles for 2026: business miles, total miles, and the datesSend: Your mileage log, or the trip records from each app
  • The vehicle you used: the date you started using it for this work, and whether you own or lease it
  • Did you pay for gas, repairs, insurance, or loan interest on that vehicle?Send: Vehicle receipts and lender statements
  • Did you pay for a phone, tolls, parking, car washes, or supplies for the work?Send: Receipts or statements for those costs
  • Did you receive tips through the app?Send: The app’s tip record or year-end summary showing tips
  • Did you buy a vehicle or equipment for this work in 2026?Send: Purchase documents showing the date and cost
  • Did you make estimated tax payments for this work? If yes, note the date and amount of each.Send: Payment confirmations or bank records for each payment

Rental property (Schedule E)

  • For each property: address, type (house, condo, room, vacation home), and the date you acquired it
  • For each property: days rented at a fair price, and days you or your family used it
  • Did you rent out your own home for fewer than 15 days in 2026?
  • Rent you received for each propertySend: Your rent ledger, and Form 1099-MISC or 1099-K if one was issued
  • Did you pay mortgage interest on the property?Send: Form 1098 for the rental, from each lender
  • Did you pay property taxes on it?Send: The property tax bill for the rental
  • Your other expenses for each property: advertising, auto and travel, cleaning and maintenance, commissions, insurance, legal and professional fees, management fees, other interest, repairs, supplies, utilities, otherSend: Receipts, invoices, or bank and credit card statements
  • Did you make improvements, or buy appliances or furniture for the property, in 2026?Send: Invoices for each improvement or purchase
  • Did you sell the property in 2026?Send: Form 1099-S and the closing statement for the property
Listed on IRS Form 13614-C
You and your household
Income
  • Check a W-2 before you accept it
  • Check a pay stub
Deductions and life events
Self-employed, rideshare, and rental (if they apply)
  • Convert a bank statement to a spreadsheet

Tax organizer, intake form, or document checklist?

A tax organizer is the questionnaire you send each client every year, before the return. A tax intake form asks the same questions when a new client signs on, so one file can do both jobs. A document checklist is different: it is the flat list of forms to gather, with no questions.

Send the organizer first, or with the list: the answers tell you which forms belong on it. For the flat list on its own, use the full tax document checklist, form by form. For the client’s side, there is what each tax situation needs (guide for clients).

What’s new on 2026 tax year organizers

Four deductions on Schedule 1-A change what you ask: qualified tips, qualified overtime, interest on a loan for a new U.S.-assembled vehicle, and an added deduction for people 65 or older. The IRS says they apply for tax years 2025 through 2028 and are available whether or not your client itemizes (FS-2026-05).

For 2025, the IRS said Forms W-2 and 1099 would not show tips or overtime separately. The 2026 Form W-2 adds box 12 codes for tips (TP) and overtime (TT). Still ask for tip logs and pay stubs: tips on a 1099, and anything the employer did not report, show up only in the client’s own records. For the car loan deduction, ask for the lender’s interest statement and the VIN. This organizer asks for each one.

How to send it so it comes back complete

Send the organizer and the document request together, on the same day. The organizer goes out in January, half of it comes back in March, and the W-2 attached is last year’s. The answers tell you what is missing. A yes on gig income means a 1099-K or 1099-NEC from each app, so you know exactly what to ask for.

I’m Arthur Teboul. I’d write every follow-up as a file status, not a nudge: “Your file: 4 of 6 documents received.” I built DokuTrak so each reminder reads “still waiting on 2 documents” until the file is complete. You still accept every file. Start with the email to send with the organizer, and keep follow-up emails when the organizer doesn’t come back ready.

Frequently asked questions

What is a tax organizer?
A tax organizer is the questionnaire a tax preparer sends each client before preparing the return. It covers the people on the return, each type of income, deductions and credits, and life events. It also names the documents each answer calls for. This template follows the order of IRS Form 13614-C (Rev. 10-2026), the intake sheet the IRS uses at its volunteer sites.
What’s the difference between a tax organizer and a tax intake form?
In practice, very little. “Tax intake form” usually means the questions a new client answers at engagement. “Tax organizer” usually means the same questions, sent every year. Both come from the same list, so one file can do both jobs. If you only need the documents, with no questions, use the individual tax preparation checklist.
Should I send clients a PDF, a Word file, or a spreadsheet?
The fillable PDF works for most clients: they type into it or print it. Use the Word file if you want your logo and your own wording. Keep the Excel tracker for yourself, to log answers and documents received. Or skip the attachment and send the document list as one DokuTrak upload request. DokuTrak collects files, not answers: the answers stay in your organizer.
What’s new on tax organizers for the 2026 tax year?
Schedule 1-A carries four deductions for tax years 2025 through 2028, and none requires itemizing (IRS FS-2026-05). Per IRS Tax Tip 2026-12, written for 2025 returns (the IRS says these apply for 2025 through 2028): up to $25,000 for qualified tips, up to $12,500 for qualified overtime ($25,000 joint), and up to $10,000 of interest on a new-vehicle loan, each phasing out with income. Seniors get an added $6,000 (Tax Tip 2026-14). Ask for tip logs, overtime pay stubs, the lender’s interest statement, and the VIN.
Who gets the new $6,000 tax break?
Per IRS Tax Tip 2026-14, for tax years 2025 through 2028, each taxpayer 65 or older may claim an added $6,000 deduction ($12,000 on a joint return if both spouses are eligible). It phases out above $75,000 of modified adjusted gross income ($150,000 joint). The organizer only needs each person’s date of birth; the preparer works out who qualifies.
How do I keep clients’ tax documents secure when they send them back?
IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, is the reference. It advises encrypting sensitive files, and sending only password-protected, encrypted documents by email or using a secure file transfer instead. It also notes that under the FTC Safeguards Rule, tax return preparers must create and enact a security plan. With DokuTrak, clients upload from one secure link with no account to create, and files are stored encrypted at rest.

Sources

This is a general checklist. Confirm the exact documents for your client's specific situation.

Other checklists