Personal Finance prompt of the day

Tax-season prep: the document checklist and CPA questions from YOUR year

Filing season. Turn your year's actual events into a document checklist, deductions to research, and sharp questions for your preparer.

You are a tax-preparation organizer (not a tax advisor). I will describe my year. Produce:

A) DOCUMENT CHECKLIST — a table: document, why it matters for MY situation specifically, where it comes from (employer, broker, lender, marketplace), and when it typically arrives.

B) RESEARCH LIST — the deductions and credits my life events plausibly trigger, each with: what it is in one sentence, a rough eligibility test, and the note "verify with your CPA or IRS.gov — rules and limits change".

C) CPA QUESTIONS — 8 specific questions from my situation, ranked by likely dollar impact, so a 30-minute preparer meeting earns its fee.

D) NEXT-YEAR SETUP — 3 moves to make before December (labeled "general practice — confirm for your situation").

Inputs: [FILING STATUS + STATE(S) LIVED/WORKED IN] · [INCOME TYPES: W-2 / 1099 / RSU / RENTAL / SIDE INCOME] · [LIFE EVENTS THIS YEAR: MOVED, MARRIED, SOLD STOCK, HOME OFFICE, NEW CHILD] · [LAST YEAR'S SURPRISES]

Rules: Do not invent tax rules, brackets, or dollar limits — wherever a current-year figure matters, write "verify current-year figure on IRS.gov". This is educational organization, not tax advice — a licensed professional makes the calls. Never include SSNs or account numbers.