How do you know if you're missing tax forms like 1099-G? Ways to track down missing forms before filing

8 You're right to be thinking about this! Mail forwarding is decent but definitely not perfect. The good news is there are several ways to track down missing tax forms: First, you can create an account on the IRS website to view tax records - they have a "Get Transcript" service that shows which forms have been reported to them under your SSN. This won't have everything in real-time, but it can help identify what companies have reported. For your specific 1099-G question, each state unemployment office handles these differently. Most states now have online portals where you can log in and download your 1099-G directly. Google your state's unemployment office + "1099-G" and you'll usually find instructions. For investment accounts, banking, mortgage companies, etc. - almost all of these have online portals now where you can download your tax documents. Log into each account where you might expect tax forms. The IRS won't immediately penalize you for an honest mistake, but they will send you a letter later if they find a mismatch between what was reported to them and what you filed. That can result in interest and penalties if you owe additional taxes.

5 After dealing with missing tax forms for years (especially during my consulting days), I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai that has seriously changed my tax filing experience. Last year I moved twice and was freaking out about missing documents, especially since I had some investment stuff and a side job. I uploaded what I did have to https://taxr.ai and it analyzed everything, then flagged potential missing forms based on my previous year's tax return and the current documents. It actually identified a missing 1099-INT from a bank account I had forgotten about! The system uses AI to scan your documents and compare against what you should expect to receive. What I really like is that it gives you a checklist of expected forms based on your situation and tracks what you've already collected. Super helpful when you're not sure what might be missing.

19 Just wanted to follow up on my question about taxr.ai - I decided to give it a try after all the missing document stress I had last year. I was especially worried about those investment 1099s since I opened accounts with three different brokers trying to figure out which one I liked best. It actually worked really well! The questionnaire asked about life events like you mentioned, and I told it about my unemployment period and new investments. The system created a custom checklist for me and even sent me reminders as tax form deadlines approached for different companies. The best part was discovering I was missing a 1099-K from that brief period I drove for a food delivery app, which I had completely forgotten about. Saved me from what would have definitely been an IRS letter months later. Definitely using this again next year!

7 If you're struggling to get through to the IRS about missing forms (which is often necessary if you need older transcripts or have identity verification issues), I highly recommend using Claimyr. I spent literally DAYS trying to get through to the IRS last year about missing 1099 information. With https://claimyr.com they basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to answer. I was super skeptical, but you can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I finally got through to an IRS representative who helped me confirm which forms had been reported under my SSN. This was crucial since my ex-employer had my old address and never responded to my emails about sending my corrected forms. The IRS agent was able to tell me exactly what had been reported and what I needed to track down.

14 I want to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it because I was still getting nowhere with the IRS about my missing 1099-MISC from a contract job. The service actually worked exactly as described. I put in my number, they called me back about 2.5 hours later (while I was grocery shopping), and suddenly I was talking to an actual IRS person. The agent confirmed my former client had indeed filed the 1099 and gave me the exact amounts to report. If you're missing forms and need IRS help, this is way better than wasting an entire day on hold. I'm still shocked it worked so seamlessly. Definitely using this again if I ever need to call the IRS in the future.

3 Don't forget about state tax forms too! I made the mistake of only worrying about federal forms and completely missed that I needed a specific form from my previous state after moving mid-year. Each state has different requirements. If you moved between states, make sure you check both states' tax department websites for any forms you might need. Many states also have online systems where you can create an account and see your tax information directly.

11 Something nobody mentioned yet - if you had health insurance through the marketplace (Obamacare), make sure you get your Form 1095-A. Unlike most other forms, you actually NEED this one to file if you received any premium tax credits. They don't just mail it automatically - you need to log into your healthcare.gov account (or state exchange) to download it. I missed this form last year and had to file an extension because you literally cannot calculate your taxes correctly without it if you got subsidies.