What to give your accountant at year end

A plain list of what to give your accountant at year end: your reports, statements, tax forms, contractor totals, tax payments and a short note.

At the end of the year, your accountant needs your records to prepare your tax return. If you give them a bag of loose papers, they spend hours sorting it. You pay for those hours.

This guide tells you what to give them, and why each item helps. It is for a sole proprietor or freelancer. If you have employees, a partnership or a corporation, your accountant will need more.

The short version

Give your reports for the year: Profit and Loss, and a list of every transaction.
Give every bank, card and loan statement for the year.
Give every tax form you received, such as Form 1099-NEC and Form 1099-K.
Give the total you paid each contractor, early.
Give a list of your estimated tax payments.
Give the facts for special deductions, and a short note on anything unusual.

Words to know

Profit and Loss report: a report of your income minus your expenses for the year.
Reconciled: your books agree with the bank statement, to the cent.
Information return: a form, such as a 1099, that someone else sends to you and to the IRS.
Contractor: a person you pay for work who is not your employee.

Your reports

Finish December first. Then make your reports for January 1 to December 31. The most important one is the Profit and Loss statement. It is where your Schedule C starts. Also give a list of every transaction by category, so your accountant can answer questions such as “What is this $2,400 in March?”

Tell your accountant if your books are on the cash basis, and if every account is reconciled. If something is not finished, say so.

Your statements

Your reports are your version of the year. The statements are the bank’s version. Your accountant uses the second to trust the first.

For each business bank account, credit card, loan and payment account (such as PayPal or Stripe), give the statements for the year. For a loan, give the lender’s year-end statement. It shows the interest you paid and the balance you still owe.

The tax forms you receive

In January and February, clients and payment companies send you forms such as 1099-NEC, 1099-K, 1099-MISC and 1099-INT. Give your accountant every one. If a form looks wrong, still send it, with a note. See what to do about a wrong 1099.

The IRS gets a copy of each form. The Schedule C instructions say to make sure your income line includes the amounts on your Forms 1099-NEC (IRS).

Contractor totals: send these first

For each contractor you paid in 2026, give the total paid, how you paid, and their Form W-9. For payments made in 2026, you generally must file Form 1099-NEC for a contractor you paid $2,000 or more. Before 2026, the limit was $600 (IRS).

Form 1099-NEC is due January 31. If that day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, it is due the next business day (IRS). January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so the due date is Monday, February 1, 2027. If your accountant prepares your 1099s, send this list in early January. See how to track payments to contractors.

Facts for special deductions

Your bank statements cannot show some facts. Give your accountant:

Equipment: what you bought, the date and the price.
Car: your mileage log, with business, commuting and other miles.
Home office: the size of the office and the size of your home. The home office deduction calculator shows the simplified amount.
Health insurance and retirement: the totals for the year.

Your tax payments

List every federal and state estimated tax payment for 2026, with the date and amount. Include the payment that is due January 15, 2027. You can see your federal payments in your IRS Online Account.

The note

Write a few lines about anything unusual. For example: you raised your rates, a client paid in advance, you paid a business bill from a personal card, you got a letter from the IRS. If this accountant is new to you, add last year’s tax return.

An example

Sofia is a freelance consultant. (She is an example, not a real person.) In 2026 she paid one designer $3,000 and one writer $1,500. She sends her accountant the designer’s total and W-9 on January 5. The designer needs a 1099-NEC, because $3,000 is $2,000 or more. The writer does not, because $1,500 is less than $2,000. In March she sends the rest in one folder, with a subfolder for each section above.

A tip for Righto users

In Righto, the Profit and Loss report shows your income and expenses for the year. The contractor payment report shows the total you paid each contractor. You can also ask your own AI agent, such as Claude Code, to pull these totals for you. See how agents work with Righto.

Common questions

Do I need to send every receipt? Usually not. Keep them all, and send the ones your accountant asks for. See do I need to keep receipts.

My books are not finished. Should I send anything yet? Yes. Send the contractor list early. Tell your accountant when the rest will come.

How should I send the files? Use your accountant’s client portal, or ask them. These files contain account numbers and your tax ID. Keep a copy for yourself.

What to do now

Ask your accountant for their list and their deadline.
Make one folder for the year.
Send the contractor totals in early January.
Start your note now, while you remember the details.

Righto is free, easy to use and needs no account.

Sources

Righto gives general information, not tax or legal advice. Ask a tax professional about your business.