What to Send Your Tax Pro in January (So Tax Season Isn’t Miserable)
If tax season feels stressful every single year, it’s usually not because you “hate taxes.”
It’s because the process turns into a months-long scavenger hunt:
“Do you have that 1099?”
“Where’s the mileage total?”
“Was that laptop personal or business?”
“Can you resend that… but not as a blurry screenshot this time?”
So here’s the fix: a clean January handoff.
When you send the right stuff early, you get fewer follow-up emails, fewer surprises, and a faster (and usually cheaper) filing process.
Let’s make January your “future-me is grateful” month.
Why this matters
When your tax pro (or bookkeeper) doesn’t have clean info, one of two things happens:
Your return gets delayed (and you’re stressed for longer), or
Your return gets filed with assumptions (and that’s where mistakes + missed deductions live)
A strong January packet helps you:
avoid missed write-offs
reduce back-and-forth
prevent extension panic
stay audit-ready without trying
The January Tax Packet: What to hand over (organized + practical)
1) Business changes + basics (these matter more than people realize)
Send any updates from the past year:
legal business name (or DBA) changes
new address, phone number, or email
ownership changes (new partner, buyout, etc.)
new state registrations or doing business in a new state
new bank/credit card accounts opened (or closed)
Hot tip: If you changed your business address, tell your tax pro and update your IRS/state accounts. Don’t let “lost mail” become your personality.
2) Income summary (not just “here’s my bank deposits”)
Provide:
year-end Profit & Loss (P&L) and Balance Sheet (if you have bookkeeping)
1099-Ks / 1099-NECs / 1099-MISCs you received
sales reports from platforms (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify, Amazon, etc.) if applicable
any “weird income” notes (insurance reimbursements, refunds, grants, settlement payments, etc.)
My strong opinion: Bank deposits are not an income report. They’re a starting point… and sometimes a trap.
3) Expense backup (the difference between “deductible” and “questionable”)
This is where things get messy. Send:
the year-end P&L (again, because it’s the map)
notes on anything personal-looking that was actually business (and vice versa)
receipts for big purchases (equipment, computers, furniture, software annual plans)
If you can’t find every receipt, don’t spiral. Just focus on:
high-dollar items
anything that could be partly personal
anything you’d have trouble explaining if asked
4) Payroll + contractor stuff (aka “January chaos season”)
If you had employees or contractors, send:
payroll summaries (W-2 employees)
contractor list with totals paid
confirmation of whether 1099s were issued (or need to be)
If you didn’t track contractor info cleanly during the year, January becomes the month you learn why that was a mistake. (It’s fine. We’re fixing it.)
5) Assets + big buys (this is where your tax savings can hide)
Send a list of anything you purchased that will last more than a year, like:
computers, printers, equipment
furniture for an office
tools
vehicles used for business
Include:
purchase date
amount
what it’s used for (quick description)
whether it’s 100% business or mixed use
6) Vehicle + mileage (pick a method and stick to it)
If you use a vehicle for business, send:
total business mileage for the year (and ideally total miles)
vehicle purchase/sale info (if any)
notes if your usage changed (new commute, new service area, etc.)
If you don’t track mileage: put it on your “never again” list for next year. It’s one of the easiest deductions to lose just because you didn’t document it.
7) Home office info (only if you truly qualify)
If you qualify for a home office, provide:
the square footage of your office space
total square footage of your home
whether the space is used regularly and exclusively for business
If you’re not sure you qualify, just say that. Don’t guess.
8) Estimated tax payments + notices (yes, send the scary letters)
Send:
estimated payments made (dates + amounts)
any IRS or state notices you received
any payment plans or prior-year balances
Pro tip: The fastest way to rack up fees is to ignore a notice because it’s unpleasant. Forward it. We’ll deal with it.
The easiest way to deliver everything (without 42 emails)
Create one folder called:
2025 Taxes — DBS (or your tax pro’s name)
Inside it, make 5 subfolders:
Income
Expenses
Payroll + 1099s
Assets + Mileage
Notices + Estimates
Drop files in as you find them. Done.
Mini example
A client sends their January packet in one clean folder: year-end reports, mileage total, contractor list, and receipts for major purchases. We finish the return quickly, spot a missed deduction opportunity, and their “tax season” is basically over before it really starts.
Another client sends screenshots in 14 separate emails, can’t find payroll totals, and isn’t sure who was a contractor. Same tax year, same deadlines… totally different stress level.
If you want help getting your January tax packet together (or you want someone to clean up your books so tax season stops being a yearly crisis), I’ve got you.
Book a call: https://calendly.com/sara-dunhambookkeepingservices
