The Client Intake List That Stops Amended Returns

Every office has amended returns, and almost every one starts the same way: a form the client didn't bring, a fact nobody asked about. The fix isn't working faster. It's asking for the right things at intake.

Here's the intake list we'd give every new preparer, sorted by the problems each item prevents.

Identity and household

• Photo ID for the taxpayer and spouse
• Social Security cards or ITIN letters for everyone on the return
• Dates of birth for everyone
• Who lived in the home, and for how many months. This one question drives filing status, dependents, the Child Tax Credit and the EITC.
• Prior-year return (or at least last year's AGI, which can be needed for e-file signature authentication)
• IRS Identity Protection PIN, if anyone on the return has one. A return filed without a required IP PIN will be rejected. More in the IP PIN guide.

Income

• W-2s from every employer
• 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC for contract work
• 1099-K from card processors and payment apps
• 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B (with cost basis)
• 1099-R for retirement distributions, SSA-1099 for Social Security
• 1099-G for unemployment and state refunds
• Records of cash income for anyone self-employed

Deductions and credits

• Form 1098 for mortgage interest, and property tax bills
• Form 1098-T and receipts for education expenses
• Child care provider's name, address, tax ID and amount paid
• Form 1095-A if anyone had Marketplace coverage. Without it the return can't reconcile the premium tax credit.
• Charitable receipts
• Estimated tax payments made, with dates

Bank details

• Routing and account number for direct deposit, from a check or bank letter, not from memory

The secret: ask every client this exact question at the end: "Did you get any mail from the IRS, your state, or a bank this year that you haven't shown me?" People don't bring forms they don't recognize as tax forms: a 1099-K from a payment app, a 1099-G for a state refund, a corrected W-2, a CP2000 for last year. A single question at the end catches what a checklist misses, because it makes the client think about the stack of mail on their kitchen table instead of the list in front of them.

Due diligence questions

If the return claims the EITC, the Child Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the credit for other dependents, the American Opportunity Credit, or head of household status, Form 8867 requires you to ask enough questions to be sure the client qualifies, and to document the answers. We cover it in Form 8867 without the panic.

Make it a checklist, not a memory test

Send the list before the appointment, by text or email, so clients arrive with the paperwork. Then use the same list at the desk. The office that sends the list first has shorter appointments.

Questions to ask every time

Documents tell you what happened. Questions tell you what's missing. Add these to your interview for every client:

• "Did anyone in the household start or stop a job this year?"
• "Did you sell anything: a house, stocks, crypto, a car used for business?"
• "Did you take money out of a retirement account?"
• "Did you get married, divorced, have a baby, or have someone move in or out?"
• "Did you get paid through a card machine or an app?"
• "Did you move to a different state?"
• "Did you buy health insurance through the Marketplace?"

Each one maps to a form that's easy to miss: a final W-2, a 1099-S or 1099-B, a 1099-R, a change in filing status, a 1099-K, a part-year state return, a 1095-A.

Before they leave the desk

Show the client the summary of the return: income, dependents, refund or balance due, and the bank details for the deposit. Ask them to confirm each line. Two minutes here catches the wrong account number, the missing dependent and the W-2 they forgot was in the car.

After the appointment

If a form is still missing, don't file and hope. Put the return on hold, tell the client exactly what you need, and send a reminder. A return filed a week later is better than one amended two months later.

Returning clients need intake too

It's tempting to skip intake for clients you've seen for years. Don't. Life changes between seasons: a new job, a divorce, a child who moved out, a house sold, a parent who moved in. Start every returning client's appointment with the same three questions: "What changed this year? Who lives with you now? Did you get any new tax forms?" Then compare their answers with last year's return on your screen. The changes they forget to mention are usually visible in what's missing.

How TaxWallet helps

In TaxWallet, clients upload documents from their phone before they arrive, and the intake checklist travels with the return. We set up your office, and your first 15 returns are free. DM TRY on Instagram or start here.

FAQ

What's the most common missing document?

In our experience, 1099 forms the client didn't recognize, especially 1099-K and 1099-G.

Why do I need the prior-year AGI?

It can be used to authenticate the taxpayer's e-file signature.

What happens if a client forgets their IP PIN?

They can retrieve it with the IRS Get an IP PIN tool after verifying their identity. The return can't be e-filed without it.

Do I need Form 1095-A?

Yes, if anyone on the return had Marketplace health coverage.