Help me prepare a tax-return worksheet for [TAX YEAR] based only on the information below. This is planning and document-organization support, not tax advice or a substitute for a CPA, enrolled agent, or tax attorney. Filing profile: [FILING PROFILE] Income records: [INCOME RECORDS] Potential deductions, credits, and payments: [DEDUCTIONS CREDITS PAYMENTS] State or local tax details: [STATE LOCAL DETAILS] Questions or unusual events: [TAX QUESTIONS OR EVENTS]
Produce:
1. A source-document checklist grouped by income, deductions, credits, payments, and state/local items. Mark each item as provided, missing, or needs confirmation.
2. A plain-English tax-return map showing which common form or schedule each provided item may affect. Do not state that I qualify for a deduction or credit; describe eligibility conditions and documentation needed.
3. A calculation table with separate columns for input, assumption, formula, and result. Show estimated federal taxable income only if the inputs make that possible. Keep federal and state calculations separate.
4. A list of up to 10 targeted questions for my tax professional, prioritized by potential dollar impact or filing risk.
5. A final filing-risk checklist covering basis records, 1099 mismatches, estimated-tax payments, deadlines, signatures, and retained records.
Use current-law uncertainty carefully: identify rules that must be verified for [TAX YEAR], especially thresholds, phaseouts, state treatment, and filing deadlines. Never invent a form, amount, basis, business expense, dependency fact, or tax payment. Self-check before answering: flag every calculation that relies on an assumption, and reconcile income totals to the records I supplied. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [TAX YEAR] | Enter the calendar year for the return, such as 2025. | 2025 |
| [FILING PROFILE] | Enter filing status, age, dependents, residency, and any self-employment or business ownership. | Married filing jointly; both age 34; one child born in 2023; New Jersey residents; no business ownership. |
| [INCOME RECORDS] | List W-2, 1099, K-1, investment, rental, retirement, and other income records with amounts you have. | W-2: Maya $118,400 wages, $18,200 federal withholding. W-2: Jonah $84,600 wages, $11,900 withholding. 1099-INT: $410. Brokerage 1099 expected. |
| [DEDUCTIONS CREDITS PAYMENTS] | List possible deductions, credits, withholding, estimated payments, and supporting records. | $9,800 daycare paid to Little Pines; $4,200 charitable gifts; $2,900 student-loan interest; no estimated payments. |
| [STATE LOCAL DETAILS] | Enter the states or localities involved, residency dates, and taxes paid to other jurisdictions. | Lived and worked in New Jersey all year; no local income tax; brokerage account held in New Jersey. |
| [TAX QUESTIONS OR EVENTS] | Describe events such as a move, home sale, stock sale, new child, side business, or foreign account. | Sold 20 shares of employer stock acquired through an ESPP; need to confirm cost basis and holding dates. |
How to use
- Gather year-end forms, payment confirmations, and records before pasting anything into the prompt.
- Replace each bracketed field and remove account numbers, Social Security numbers, and full bank details.
- Check the calculation table against your forms and label unsupported entries as unanswered rather than guessing.
- Follow up with: “Turn the questions for my tax professional into a one-page meeting agenda, ordered by urgency.”
Variations
CPA intake summary
Use this before sending organized facts to a tax preparer.
Create a concise CPA intake summary for [TAX YEAR] using [TAX FACTS] and [DOCUMENT LIST]. Produce one page with household profile, income sources, transactions, deductions and credits to evaluate, taxes paid, missing documents, and five questions needing professional judgment. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions. Do not estimate amounts or claim eligibility. End with a secure-document checklist; do not include Social Security numbers or account numbers. Ask up to 3 questions only if a material fact is absent.
Freelancer quarterly taxes
Use this to plan records and cash reserves during the year.
Help me build a quarterly estimated-tax planning worksheet for [TAX YEAR] from [BUSINESS INCOME], [BUSINESS EXPENSES], [OTHER HOUSEHOLD INCOME], and [PRIOR PAYMENTS]. Produce a monthly profit table, a list of expenses needing receipts or business-purpose notes, a clearly labeled rough reserve range, and payment dates to verify with a tax professional. Keep federal and state estimates separate and show every assumption and formula. Do not invent deductions, tax rates, or payments. Ask up to 3 questions if needed.
Investment sale review
Use this after selling shares, funds, crypto, or other investments.
Review these investment transactions for tax-document preparation: [TRANSACTION LIST], [BROKER FORMS], [COST BASIS RECORDS], and [OTHER TAX FACTS]. Produce a transaction table with date acquired, date sold, proceeds, reported basis, basis confidence, likely holding-period category, and missing evidence. Identify wash-sale, basis-adjustment, grant-date, and multi-state questions that require verification. Do not calculate tax owed or invent basis. Flag conflicts between my records and broker reporting, then provide questions for a CPA. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if essential.
Tips
- Treat AI output as a preparation worksheet; use a licensed professional for eligibility decisions, filing positions, and final submission.
- Enter withholding and estimated payments separately from income, since mixing them is a common reason estimates look wrong.
- For stock, crypto, and property sales, preserve acquisition dates, lot-level basis, fees, and prior-year carryforward records.
- Do not paste SSNs, full account numbers, tax-return PDFs with IDs, or login details into an AI chat.
FAQ
Can AI prepare and file my tax return?
It can organize information and explain concepts, but it should not replace professional review or your responsibility for the filed return.
Why should calculations include assumptions?
Tax outcomes depend on facts, thresholds, elections, and current rules. Visible assumptions let you identify exactly what a preparer must confirm.
Can I use this if I have a business?
Yes, but include records by business and keep personal expenses separate. Self-employment, entity, payroll, and sales-tax issues often need professional advice.