--- title: "What to Bring to a Tax Return Review: Checklist | DeepYield" description: "A tax return review checklist: returns, depreciation reports, purchase records, information returns, IRS notices, and how to share documents with care." --- [Skip to content](https://go.deepyield.com/learn/what-to-bring-to-a-tax-return-review#main-content) [![DeepYield Tax Strategies Logo](https://go.deepyield.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1080x1080px-1.png?width=1001&height=1001&name=1080x1080px-1.png)Homepage](https://deepyield.com/) - Home - Products - Pricing - Blog - Company Get started - Home - Products - Pricing - Blog - Company Get started DEEPYIELDTAX STRATEGIES # What to Bring to a Tax Return Review: A Checklist **Short answer:** For a tax return review, gather your complete filed returns for the years being reviewed, with every schedule, form and statement, and the depreciation reports behind them. Add records for any land, building, equipment or business purchases and sales, the information returns you received (such as Forms W-2, 1099 and Schedule K-1), and any IRS notices for those years. If a return is missing, the IRS offers transcripts and copies. Before sending anything, confirm who you're sending it to and how they want to receive it. **[Request your free two-year look-back →](https://deepyield.com/get-started/#inv-form)** ### The core checklist for any tax return review 1. **Complete filed federal returns** for each year being reviewed: Form 1040 and every schedule, form and statement that went with it, not just the summary pages. 2. **Depreciation reports:** Form 4562 and the detailed asset list (depreciation schedule) behind it. IRS Publication 225 says asset records should show when and how you acquired each asset, its full purchase cost, the cost of any improvements, the section 179 deduction and the depreciation and any special depreciation allowance taken, how you used the asset, and when and how you disposed of it. 3. **Information returns:** Publication 225 says to keep copies of information returns such as Form 1099-NEC, Form 1099-MISC, Schedule K-1 and Form W-2. 4. **Purchase and sale records** for land, buildings, equipment or a business: invoices, bills of sale and real estate closing statements, which Publication 225 lists as examples of asset records. 5. **IRS notices or letters** for those years. 6. **A short list of what changed** in those years (land or equipment bought or sold, a new entity, a big move in income) and any questions you already have. ### Extra items for farm and ranch operations - The records behind Schedule F. Publication 225 says your recordkeeping system should include a summary of your business transactions showing gross income and the expenses, deductions and credits you report, plus supporting documents such as invoices and receipts for purchases, sales, payroll and other business transactions. - Livestock purchase and sale records, and crop insurance or program payment statements. - Payroll and employment tax records, if you have employees (Publication 225 notes there are specific employment tax records you must keep). - Closing statements for any land purchase, including how the price was split between land and improvements. - Invoices and placed-in-service dates for machinery, buildings, fences, wells, grain bins and other improvements. ### Extra items for high-income households and business owners - Forms W-2, plus any bonus or equity compensation statements. - Brokerage Forms 1099 and the year-end realized gain and loss reports, and any capital loss carryover figures from earlier years. - Schedule K-1s from partnerships, S corporations, estates or trusts. - Rental property records: closing statements, improvement invoices and the depreciation schedule. - Charitable contribution receipts or acknowledgments, retirement contribution records and estimated tax payment records. IRS Publication 583 says supporting documents matter because they "support the entries in your books and on your tax return." It suggests keeping them in an orderly fashion and in a safe place, organized by year and type of income or expense. You don't have to have every receipt in hand to start. The returns and depreciation reports come first; supporting documents matter when a question comes up about a specific item. ### What if you're missing a return or a form? The IRS says you can get your personal tax records online or by mail, including transcripts of past returns, tax account information, and wage and income statements. Your Individual Online Account lets you view, print or download transcripts ("Get transcript"). If you need a photocopy of a filed return itself, the IRS says to submit Form 4506, *Request for Copy of Tax Return*. Your preparer may also be able to give you a copy of what they filed. ### How long should you keep these records? The IRS says that, generally, you must keep records that support an item of income, deduction or credit on your return until the period of limitations for that return runs out ("How long should I keep records?"). That's the period in which you can amend the return to claim a credit or refund, or the IRS can assess additional tax. Records connected to property are generally kept until the period of limitations expires for the year you dispose of the property, because they're needed to figure depreciation and the gain or loss on the sale. The same page notes that copies of filed returns help in preparing future returns and in making computations if you file an amended return. Some situations call for longer retention; the IRS page lists them. ### A note on privacy: sharing tax documents with care The IRS reminds taxpayers that you trust your tax preparer "with your most personal information" ("Choosing a tax professional"). The same is true of anyone who reviews your returns. A few practical steps: - **Confirm who you're dealing with first.** The IRS says it doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information ("Get transcript"). Treat any unexpected request for tax documents with caution, whoever it claims to be from. - **Ask how documents will be shared and who will see them,** and use the method the reviewer explains to you rather than an unexpected link. - **Share what the review needs.** If a page carries account numbers that aren't relevant to the review, ask whether you can cover them. - **Transcripts are one option.** The IRS notes that transcripts partially mask your personally identifiable information, while the financial data stays fully visible for tax preparation and representation ("Get transcript"). When you request a look-back, we'll tell you how to share your documents. ### What a reviewer should do with your documents IRS Tax Topic 254 says good preparers "will ask to see your records and receipts" and will ask questions to figure items such as total income, deductions and credits. Expect the same from a review. The IRS also says that although your preparer signs the return, "you're ultimately accountable for the accuracy of every item reported on your return." That's a reason to understand what's on yours. ### Where DeepYield fits DeepYield is a second set of eyes, not a replacement for your CPA. A free two-year look-back is a review of your last two years of tax returns, done for you, then a 30-minute call to walk through what we found. We go looking for what's missing: assets that aren't on the depreciation schedule, how purchases and sales were recorded, and the deductions and credits that were claimed and the ones that weren't. We look for every legitimate deduction and credit you qualify for, not just the obvious ones, whether your return centers on a farm or ranch or on income from a career, a business or investments. Then we tell you plainly whether anything looks worth a closer look, including when nothing does, and we're glad to share our questions with your CPA directly. The look-back has no cost and no obligation, and requesting one doesn't create a client relationship. **For the look-back, start with:** your last two years of federal returns, with all schedules and depreciation reports, plus documents for any land, building or equipment purchases in those years. If your income comes mainly from a career, a business or investments, your returns and their schedules are still the place to start. Related: [Second Opinion on Your Tax Return](https://go.deepyield.com/learn/second-opinion-on-your-tax-return?hsLang=en) · [Tax Planning for High-Income Earners](https://go.deepyield.com/learn/tax-planning-for-high-income-earners?hsLang=en) · [Farmland Purchase Price Allocation](https://go.deepyield.com/learn/farmland-purchase-price-allocation?hsLang=en) **[Request your free two-year look-back →](https://deepyield.com/get-started/#inv-form)** ## Frequently asked questions ### What documents do I need for a tax return review? Start with your complete filed returns for the years being reviewed, with every schedule and statement; the depreciation reports (Form 4562 and the detailed asset list); records for any land, building, equipment or business purchases and sales; information returns such as Forms W-2, 1099 and Schedule K-1; and any IRS notices for those years. ### Do I need all my receipts before a tax return review? Not to start. The returns and depreciation reports come first. Supporting documents such as invoices, receipts and closing statements matter when a question comes up about a specific item; IRS Publication 583 says they support the entries in your books and on your tax return. ### What if I can't find a past tax return? The IRS offers transcripts of past tax returns online through your Individual Online Account or by mail. If you need a photocopy of the filed return itself, the IRS says to submit Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return. Your preparer may also be able to give you a copy. ### How long should I keep tax records? Generally, the IRS says to keep records that support items on your return until the period of limitations for that return runs out, and to keep records connected to property until the period of limitations expires for the year you dispose of it. Some situations call for longer retention. ### Is it safe to share my tax return for a review? Confirm who you're dealing with and ask how they want documents shared before you send anything. The IRS says it doesn't initiate contact by email, text messages or social media to request personal or financial information. Share what the review needs, and use the method the reviewer explains to you. ### Do I need my CPA's permission to get a second look? No. It's your return, and a review doesn't change who prepares it. You may want to tell your CPA, since any question a reviewer raises is for you and your CPA to consider together. ### What do I need for DeepYield's two-year look-back? Your last two years of federal returns, with all schedules and depreciation reports, plus documents for any land, building or equipment purchases in those years. The look-back has no cost and no obligation, and we'll tell you how to share your documents. If your income comes mainly from a career, a business or investments, your returns and their schedules are still the place to start. ## Sources - IRS Publication 225 (2025), *Farmer's Tax Guide* (ch. 1, Importance of Records: Kinds of Records To Keep; Assets; Tax returns; Employment taxes): [https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225) - IRS Publication 583, *Starting a Business and Keeping Records* (Supporting Documents): [https://www.irs.gov/publications/p583](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p583) - IRS, *How long should I keep records?*: [https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records) - IRS, *Get transcript* (transcripts online or by mail; Form 4506 for a photocopy; masking; IRS doesn't initiate contact by email, text or social media): [https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript) - About Form 4506, *Request for Copy of Tax Return*: [https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4506](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4506) - IRS, *Choosing a tax professional* ("You trust him or her with your most personal information"): [https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/choosing-a-tax-professional](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/choosing-a-tax-professional) - IRS Tax Topic 254, *How to choose a tax return preparer* (good preparers ask to see records; you're ultimately accountable): [https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc254](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc254) *Results depend on your specific facts. No outcome is guaranteed. This is general information, not tax advice; advice is provided only under a signed engagement.* DeepYield LLC · 4306 Yoakum Blvd, Suite 170, Houston, TX 77006 [![DeepYield Tax Strategies Logo](https://go.deepyield.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1080x1080px-1.png?width=1001&height=1001&name=1080x1080px-1.png "DeepYield Tax Strategies Logo")](https://deepyield.com/) - Home - Products - Pricing - Blog - Company --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026. 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