You have to file a tax return because you’re probably a taxpayer. The IRS considers taxable income as all income from whatever source derived, including gains realized, unless otherwise excluded.
To prepare your taxes on your own, you’ll need to assemble the correct paperwork.
That includes all of those forms that have been coming in from various sources: – Form W-2: Wage and Tax Statement – Form 1099-NEC: Nonemployee Compensation – Form 1099-MISC: Miscellaneous Income – Form 8949: Sales and Other Disposition Asset – Form 1120: U.S. Corporate Income Tax Return
When you begin tallying your income earned for the year, you will eventually end up with your “gross” income from all sources. This includes your wages, tips, self-employment income, investment income, real estate income, and more.
If you work as an employee, your employer will send you a Form W-2 in the mail and possibly electronically. This documents all the details related to your pay, deductions, and other elections made during the tax year.