Talia SELF-EMPLOYED · UNITED STATES
What should I bring my accountant if I’m self-employed in the US?
The short answer
Ask for your accountant’s document checklist first. As a starting point, prepare income and expense records, their supporting documents, and a list of missing details or questions. Organize them by year and period. A summary helps with review; it does not replace documents or guarantee you have everything needed to file.
Confirm the scope before gathering files
Explain what work you do and which period you need reviewed. Ask which file format they prefer and which secure channel to use. This guide covers work records; your tax return may require personal documents and other forms that the professional will request.
If you clean houses and also do delivery work, identify the activity for each record. Do not guess how each activity should be reported: leave that decision for professional review.
Prepare four groups that are easy to review
- Income: records of paid jobs, invoices, platform documents and forms you received. Note the source so they can be compared.
- Expenses: a list with dates, amounts, descriptions and work purposes.
- Supporting documents: receipts, invoices and other evidence linked to the records.
- Questions: mixed-use purchases, refunds, unidentified charges and missing documents.
Do not automatically add together a tax form, a platform report and a deposit: they might describe the same payment. Flag overlaps for review.
Give an expense enough context to understand
Illustrative example: “$200 chair rent” is clearer with the payment date, the period it covers and an invoice reference. Save the supporting file with a name you can find.
September — salon chair rent — $200 — payment date recorded — document: chair-rent-september.
A record export and a folder of supporting documents do different jobs. The IRS explains why supporting documents accompany your records. A spreadsheet alone does not make every expense deductible.
A checklist before you send
- File names identify the year and period.
- Amounts are readable and receipts are complete.
- Duplicate records are identified rather than counted twice.
- Refunds and mixed personal purchases are flagged.
- Mileage and other specific logs are separate where applicable.
- Open questions are in a short list.
Confirm the recipient and use the agreed channel. Do not put documents containing personal information in a public link that anyone can open.
Useful questions for the first conversation
“What information is missing?”, “how should I identify each supporting document?” and “what routine should I follow next month?” turn a big review into concrete next steps.
Do not describe your list as complete if you know details are missing. Do not expect a tool to determine the final deduction either. Organization helps you find information; your accountant reviews your situation and prepares the return.