A Guide to Commonly-Used IRS Tax Forms
There are many types of tax forms you might need when preparing to file your taxes. Additionally, you may receive certain forms from employers, loan service providers, and more. If you’re confused about what these forms are for, use this guide to learn more about IRS tax forms and which ones you’ll need to use to complete your return.
The One Big Beautiful Bill that passed includes permanently extending tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including increasing the cap on the amount of state and local or sales tax and property tax (SALT) that you can deduct, makes cuts to energy credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act, makes changes to taxes on tips and overtime for certain workers, reforms Medicaid, increases the Debt ceiling, and reforms Pell Grants and student loans. Updates to this article are in process. Check our One Big Beautiful Bill article for more information.
Key Takeaways
- Form 1040 is the foundation of your tax return. To file properly, you'll want to understand its various schedules and attachments for different types of income and deductions.
- Common additional forms include Schedule A for itemized deductions, Schedule B for taxable interest or ordinary dividends, Schedule C for business profit or loss, Schedule D for capital gains and losses, and Schedule SE for self-employment tax.
- You should expect to receive forms like W-2 from your employer, 1098 for mortgage or student loan interest that you paid, and various 1099 forms for other types of income that you received.
There are more than a thousand IRS tax forms for reporting various kinds of income, expenses and other financial data—and each piece of paperwork bears its own letter or number, which can seem as foreign as a new language.
Fortunately, learning just a few key tax forms can give you much of the information you need to understand your tax return. Here's a primer on some of the documents you'll want to be familiar with as you use TurboTax to prepare your tax return.
Which tax forms should you use for filing?
The documents to start with are the 1040 and 1040-SR.
For tax years prior to 2018, Forms 1040EZ and 1040A were available but have been phased out beginning with the 2018 tax year by a redesigned Form 1040 and a new 1040-SR for those 65 and older. The 1040 family of forms serves as the center of your tax return.
Form 1040
Form 1040 is the standard federal income tax return used by most individual taxpayers in the United States. It's where you report your income, claim deductions and credits, calculate your tax liability, and determine whether you're owed a refund or owe additional tax.
Taxpayers age 65 and older have the option to use Form 1040-SR instead, which includes the same line items as the regular 1040 but with larger print and a standard deduction chart built into the form.
The current Form 1040 has been the standard since the 2018 tax year, when the IRS redesigned it to replace the older Form 1040EZ and Form 1040A. Form 1040-SR was introduced the following year for the 2019 tax year.
TurboTax Tip:
The 1099 series includes forms like 1099-DIV for dividends, 1099-INT for interest income, 1099-OID for original issue discount, and 1099-MISC for miscellaneous income such as royalties or rents.
What are the most common tax form attachments needed to file taxes?
Depending on your situation, you may be required to file attachments to your return. According to the IRS the following attachments are the most common:
- Schedule A is for itemizing deductions, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, medical or dental expenses, and charitable contributions.
- Schedule B is the place to report taxable interest or ordinary dividends exceeding $1,500 (applies to taxable accounts only—you don't have to report interest or dividends in tax-advantaged accounts such as IRAs and 529 plans). This is also where you report income from a seller-financed mortgage.
- Schedule C reports the profit or loss and any deductible expenses from a business you own.
- Schedule D is where you report capital gains and losses from stock sales or other transactions.
- Schedule SE calculates the self-employment tax.
What are the most common IRS forms you'll receive for tax prep?
You can expect to receive a number of forms reporting your income from your employer, bank or credit union, mutual fund companies and other entities you did business with throughout the year. The most common of these forms are:
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Form W-2
The W-2 is filled out by your employer to document your earnings for the calendar year. This tax form supplies you with some of the most important information you'll need when you fill out your 1040 including the wages you earned and the taxes your employer withheld.
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Form 1098
You'll receive one of the three varieties of Form 1098 if you paid interest on a mortgage or student loan, paid college tuition or donated a motor vehicle to charity.
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Form 1099 series
This family of tax forms reports all income that isn't salary, wages or tips. For example, you'll receive a 1099 if you earned more than $600 from any one company while working as an independent contractor, consultant or freelancer within the tax year.
There are several types of 1099 forms, including:
- 1099-DIV, which reports dividends, distributions, capital gains and federal income tax withheld from investment accounts, including mutual fund accounts.
- 1099-INT keeps track of interest income you earn on investments.
- 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount) is provided if you received more than the stated redemption price on maturing bonds.
- 1099-MISC documents self-employment earnings, as well as miscellaneous income such as royalties, commissions or rents. It covers all non-employee income that is not derived from investments.
Will I receive any tax forms from the IRS?
You typically don't receive any tax forms from the IRS. You typically get tax forms from your employer, from banking or investment institutions, or from entities for which you did work as a self-employed individual.
While you can print tax forms from www.irs.gov, if you file electronically with TurboTax, we will ask simple questions and automatically fill in all of the appropriate tax return forms you need to file your tax return.
Remember, no matter which IRS tax forms you need, TurboTax does the work of selecting and filling in the right forms—it can even import W-2 forms from more than 100,000 employers.
Tax form frequently asked questions
When should I receive my W-2 and 1099 forms?
Employers and payers must send W-2 and 1099 forms by January 31 each year. If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it shifts to the next business day. Contact the issuer if you haven't received an expected form by mid-February.
What should I do if I lost my W-2 or never received one?
Ask your employer for a reissued copy first. If you still don't have it by the end of February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 — the agency will follow up with your employer. If the filing deadline is approaching, you can file using Form 4852, a substitute that lets you estimate your wages and withholding. If the actual W-2 later shows different numbers, file an amended return using Form 1040-X.
Do I have to wait for a 1099 to file my taxes?
No. The IRS requires you to report all income whether or not a 1099 arrives. If you know what you were paid — from your own records, invoices, or bank statements — you can file without the form. The payer sends a copy of the 1099 to the IRS, so make sure the income you report matches what was reported on your behalf.
What's the difference between a W-2 and a 1099?
A W-2 reports wages from an employer who withholds Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from your paycheck. A 1099 reports non-employee income (such as freelance pay, interest, or dividends) with no taxes withheld — so the recipient is responsible for paying self-employment tax and income tax on their own.
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