Filing your yearly income tax return in Glendale, CA, can cause a lot of stress, but if you know which forms your Glendale income tax specialists need to complete your return, you can greatly reduce that stress. But how do you know which tax forms your preparer needs? We’ve got a list of the five most common forms right here.
- The Most Important Tax Form: The W-2
It’s called income tax for a reason. The single most important tax form you need to bring to your tax appointment is the form that reports your earned income. For the majority of Glendale residents, that form is the W-2 Wage and Tax Statement. If you are a full-time employee whose employer withholds taxes from your paycheck throughout the year, your employer will issue you a W-2 form by January 31st. if you do not receive it by January 31st or by the time your tax appointment rolls around, you need to contact your employer. Your tax specialist cannot complete your tax return without the reported income and tax withholding on the W-2.
- Earned Income without a W-2? You May Need a 1099-NEC or 1099-K
If you are self-employed and your employer does not withhold any taxes for you throughout the year, you will most likely receive a 1099-NEC to report that earned income. A 1099-NEC should be issued for the 2025 tax year if you earned more than $600. If you had multiple employers, the $600 threshold applies to each employer, so you may receive multiple 1099-NECs. For the 2026 tax return, that amount will increase to $2,000.
If your self-employment income is earned through an online marketplace, such as Etsy, or another third-party platform, such as PayPal, and you earned more than $20,000 or had over 200 transactions, you will receive a 1099-K from that company reporting your income. Please note that this threshold is new for 2025 tax returns.
- Social Security Income: The 1099-SSA
If you live in Glendale and receive social security income, you do have to report that income on your tax return. You may not be taxed on any of it, but that will depend on the amount of your overall income. Always bring your 1099-SSA to your tax specialist so they can determine if you owe taxes on your social security income.
- Retirement Income (or a Distribution if You’re Not Retired): The 1099-R
Whether you’re retired and take required minimum distributions from your retirement account or you’re not retired but took a distribution out of your retirement account, you may owe taxes on those distributions. The company where you have your retirement account will send you a 1099-R form reporting the distribution and if any taxes were withheld. Your Glendale tax preparer needs this form to determine if taxes and/or penalties are owed.
- Unemployment Income: The 1099-G
Yes, unemployment income is taxable on the federal level, and you will be issued a 1099-G reporting the amount you received throughout the year and if any taxes were withheld. For California state taxes, unemployment is not taxable.
Other Types of Income: 1099 Tax Forms for Investments
The IRS taxes most income, not only earned income. If you had any investments that gained income throughout the year, your financial institution will issue 1099s to report that income as well. For any interest you make on investments, you will be issued a 1099-INT, and, yes, this includes your regular checking and/or savings accounts. Dividends and capital gains/losses from stocks or mutual funds are also considered income, and you will receive a 1099-DIV form or a 1099-Composite form to report that income. Please note: These forms typically do not get mailed until late February through mid-March.
For more details on investment tax forms: Is Investment Income Taxed?
Forms to Report Tax Deductions
While the IRS is interested in your income, you are probably more interested in tax deductions. When it comes to deductions, there are very few forms that you will receive. Homeowners with a mortgage may receive a 1098 form that reports deductible mortgage interest. Sometimes deductible property taxes are also reported on this form, but usually you must rely on your property tax bill to self-report that deduction.
Learn more at: Itemized Deductions for Homeowners
If you had self-employment income, you can typically take some business-related deductions from that income. You are responsible for keeping track of those expenses and the receipts that go with them. While there is no specific form you need to fill out, your tax specialist will appreciate an organized document, such as a profit and loss statement, that shows the amounts for all of your business expenses.
Read Self-Employed Expense Categories to learn more.
Even though Moore & Paquette Tax Group is in Burbank, we are also able to act as your Glendale income tax specialists. Please reach out today if you’d like to learn more about us.
**Please note that tax law can change often, and the above should not be considered legal advice. Always consult with a tax preparer before completing a tax return.