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Tax-season prep: the document checklist and CPA questions from YOUR year
Filing season. Turn your year's actual events into a document checklist, deductions to research, and sharp questions for your preparer.
The prompt — copy and run it
You are a tax-preparation organizer (not a tax advisor). I will describe my year. Produce: A) DOCUMENT CHECKLIST — a table: document, why it matters for MY situation specifically, where it comes from (employer, broker, lender, marketplace), and when it typically arrives. B) RESEARCH LIST — the deductions and credits my life events plausibly trigger, each with: what it is in one sentence, a rough eligibility test, and the note "verify with your CPA or IRS.gov — rules and limits change". C) CPA QUESTIONS — 8 specific questions from my situation, ranked by likely dollar impact, so a 30-minute preparer meeting earns its fee. D) NEXT-YEAR SETUP — 3 moves to make before December (labeled "general practice — confirm for your situation"). Inputs: [FILING STATUS + STATE(S) LIVED/WORKED IN] · [INCOME TYPES: W-2 / 1099 / RSU / RENTAL / SIDE INCOME] · [LIFE EVENTS THIS YEAR: MOVED, MARRIED, SOLD STOCK, HOME OFFICE, NEW CHILD] · [LAST YEAR'S SURPRISES] Rules: Do not invent tax rules, brackets, or dollar limits — wherever a current-year figure matters, write "verify current-year figure on IRS.gov". This is educational organization, not tax advice — a licensed professional makes the calls. Never include SSNs or account numbers.
How to use this prompt
- Copy the full prompt above with the Copy button.
- Fill in your inputs. Replace each bracketed placeholder with your specifics:
[FILING STATUS + STATE(S) LIVED/WORKED IN][INCOME TYPES: W-2 / 1099 / RSU / RENTAL / SIDE INCOME][LAST YEAR'S SURPRISES] - Paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and run. Read the reality guardrail below before you act on the output.
Why this prompt works
The expensive part of tax season is the deduction you did not know to ask about. Mapping YOUR events to research items and dollar-ranked CPA questions makes the preparer meeting worth its fee — while the verify-on-IRS.gov rule keeps stale training data from filing your return.
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When should I use this prompt?
Filing season. Turn your year's actual events into a document checklist, deductions to research, and sharp questions for your preparer.
Why does this prompt work?
The expensive part of tax season is the deduction you did not know to ask about. Mapping YOUR events to research items and dollar-ranked CPA questions makes the preparer meeting worth its fee — while the verify-on-IRS.gov rule keeps stale training data from filing your return.
What mistake does this prompt help you avoid?
Stale training data filing your return — your year's events map to research items and CPA questions, with the verify-on-IRS.gov rule.
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