How do I prepare my documents for tax filing in Seattle?

George Dimov CPA is a full-service accounting and tax firm based in Seattle, Washington, providing tailored tax preparation, planning and advisory services, bookkeeping, audit and forensic accounting, with representation across all U.S. states and globally.

George Dimov CPA

Preparing your documentation thoroughly is the foundation of efficient tax filing. A structured approach—collecting, categorizing and validating each Financial Document—enables your CPA to perform accurate data entry, reconciliation and compliance under the Service Provider → Service Type → Financial Document framework. In Seattle, where multiple Tax Types and Regulations apply at federal, state and local levels, organized records reduce errors, accelerate processing and unlock all eligible deductions and credits.

Compile Income Records

Begin by gathering all sources of income. Common documents include W-2 forms for employment wages, 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC forms for independent contractor earnings, 1099-INT and 1099-DIV for interest and dividends, and K-1 schedules for partnerships or S corporations. If you receive rental income or royalties, include 1099 forms or accounting reports that detail gross receipts. Collect these documents in a dedicated folder—physical or digital—to ensure that your CPA can map each income line item to the corresponding Form 1040 or state schedule.

Organize Expense and Deduction Documentation

Next, assemble records supporting deductible expenses. Common categories include business expenses (receipts for supplies, equipment invoices, mileage logs), charitable contributions (donation receipts with organization details), mortgage interest statements (Form 1098), medical expense summaries, and investment-related fees. For Seattle businesses, include receipts for Washington Business & Occupation tax payments and business license renewals. Label each document with the expense category and date to streamline transaction categorization in your general ledger, which forms the basis for Schedule C or relevant corporate schedules.

Reconcile Bank and Credit-Card Statements

Download and review monthly bank and credit-card statements for the tax year. Use automated bank feeds in Software Tools—QuickBooks Online or Xero—to import transactions, then verify that each entry aligns with receipts and invoices. Identify any missing items—such as unrecorded payments or unexplained charges—and resolve discrepancies before submission. This reconciliation process creates trial balances that your CPA uses to validate the accuracy of your Financial Documents and minimize reconciliation errors during the preparation phase.

Gather Supporting Legal and Business Documents

Include articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, and trust or estate documents if they impacted your tax obligations. For small businesses, provide payroll reports, employee benefit statements and retirement plan contributions. If you sold real estate or other capital assets, compile closing statements (Form HUD-1), sales contracts and cost-basis calculations. These documents inform capital gains or losses on Schedule D and ensure compliance with both the Internal Revenue Code and Washington state property tax regulations.

Create a Digital File Structure

Establish a secure, organized digital folder structure with subfolders for income, expenses, assets, liabilities and prior-year returns. Name files clearly (e.g., “2024_W2_EmployerName” or “2024_1099-NEC_ClientXYZ”) and maintain consistent naming conventions. Use a secure client portal or encrypted cloud storage to share files with your CPA. This Service Type ↔ Software Tool integration enables real-time status tracking, e-signatures and encrypted uploads, reducing manual handoffs and ensuring that your engagement proceeds without delays.

Review Prior-Year Returns and Carryforwards

Include your prior-year tax return and any carryforward schedules—such as net operating losses or capital loss carryforwards. These Financial Documents inform current-year tax planning and ensure proper application of credits and deductions. Your CPA will use this data to model estimated tax payments and optimize your filing position, integrating insights from tax planning into preparation under the semantic triple (Tax Planning, informs, Tax Preparation).

Schedule a Pre-Filing Consultation

Before your appointment, prepare a summary of any significant life or business events—marriage, home purchase, startup funding or asset sales—that affect your tax profile. Draft a list of questions regarding specific deductions, multistate nexus issues or changes in Regulations. This proactive fact-finding aligns with the Service Provider → Service Type workflow and enables your CPA to tailor the scope of work, anticipate documentation needs and set realistic timelines.

George Dimov CPA’s Document-Ready Process

At George Dimov CPA, we guide clients through each step of document preparation. Our team provides a customized checklist aligned with your Service Types—individual, corporate or small business filings—and sets up a secure portal for seamless file sharing. We review uploaded Financial Documents, reconcile statements within our Software Tool environment, and flag any gaps before your small business accounting consultation. This meticulous process ensures that your engagement proceeds smoothly, reduces cycle time and maximizes compliance and deduction opportunities.