Tax Preparation Client Intake Form Template

A tax preparation intake form collects the information you need from a new client before starting their return -- personal details, filing status, income sources, deductions, and prior tax history. Without it, you spend the first meeting asking basic questions instead of discussing tax strategy.

This template covers the questions and fields your intake form should include, organized by section. It is designed for CPAs and tax preparers onboarding new clients, though the same structure works for returning clients who need to update their information. For the general-purpose version, see our client intake form template and checklist.

Section 1: Personal Information

Start with the basics. Even for returning clients, confirm these every year -- addresses change, dependents age out, and marital status shifts.

Taxpayer

• Full legal name (as shown on Social Security card)
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Occupation/job title
• Current mailing address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Filing status: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, qualifying surviving spouse

Spouse (if filing jointly or separately)

• Full legal name
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Occupation/job title

Dependents

For each dependent:

• Full legal name
• Social Security number or ITIN
• Date of birth
• Relationship to taxpayer
• Months lived in the home during the tax year
• Gross income (if any)
• Full-time student? (yes/no)
• Disabled? (yes/no)

Section 2: Prior Tax History

This section is critical for new clients. It prevents missed carryforwards, surfaces IRS notices you need to know about, and flags unfiled returns before they become your problem.

• Did you file a tax return last year? (yes/no)
• Who prepared your last return? (self, another preparer -- name/firm)
• Do you have a copy of last year's federal and state returns? (Upload here)
• Did you receive any IRS or state notices in the past 12 months?
• Do you have any unfiled returns from prior years?
• Do you owe back taxes to the IRS or any state?
• Were you ever audited? If yes, which year(s) and what was the outcome?
• Do you have an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)?

Section 3: Income Sources

Ask about every income type. Clients forget income sources unless you prompt them -- unreported 1099s and side income are the most common cause of amended returns.

• Employment: How many W-2 jobs did you have? (List employers)
• Self-employment/freelance: Did you earn any 1099 income? Describe the business activity and estimated gross income
• Interest and dividends: Do you have any savings accounts, CDs, or brokerage accounts that earned interest or dividends?
• Investment sales: Did you sell any stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investments?
• Retirement distributions: Did you take any withdrawals from an IRA, 401k, or pension?
• Social Security: Did you receive Social Security benefits?
• Rental income: Do you own any rental properties? (Number of properties, gross rent collected)
• Partnership/S-Corp: Are you a partner or shareholder in any business? (Will you receive a K-1?)
• Cryptocurrency: Did you buy, sell, trade, or receive any cryptocurrency?
• Other: Gambling winnings, jury duty pay, alimony received, prizes, awards

Section 4: Deductions and Credits

Each question here maps to a specific form or schedule. When a client answers "yes," you know which documents to request next.

• Home ownership: Do you own a home? Mortgage interest paid? Property taxes paid?
• Charitable giving: Did you make donations to qualified charities? Estimated total (cash and non-cash)?
• Medical expenses: Did you have significant unreimbursed medical expenses?
• Education: Did you or a dependent attend college? Did you pay student loan interest?
• Childcare: Did you pay for childcare so you could work? (Provider name, amount paid)
• Home office: Do you use a dedicated space in your home exclusively for business?
• Vehicle: Do you use a personal vehicle for business? (Business miles, total miles)
• Retirement contributions: Did you contribute to an IRA, SEP-IRA, or 401k outside of employer payroll deductions?
• Health insurance: How do you get health insurance? (Employer, marketplace, Medicare, self-pay)
• Energy improvements: Did you install solar panels, a heat pump, or make other energy-efficient improvements to your home?
• Electric vehicle: Did you buy or lease an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle?

Section 5: Life Changes

Life changes affect filing status, deductions, and credits. Ask these directly -- clients rarely volunteer this information, and a missed life event can mean a missed credit or an incorrect filing status.

• Did your marital status change? (Married, divorced, widowed)
• Did you have or adopt a child?
• Did you buy or sell a home?
• Did you move? (New state may require additional state filings)
• Did you start or close a business?
• Did you change jobs or experience unemployment?
• Did you retire?
• Did anyone on the return become disabled?
• Did you receive a large inheritance or gift?
• Did you open or close any foreign bank accounts?

Section 6: Bank Information and Preferences

Collect bank details upfront so refund processing does not depend on a follow-up request.

• Bank name
• Routing number
• Account number
• Account type (checking/savings)
• Refund preference: direct deposit, paper check, or apply to estimated taxes
• Preferred method of receiving completed return: email, portal, mail
• Preferred method of communication: email, phone, text

How to Use This Intake Form

Send it before the first meeting

The intake form should arrive before your initial consultation -- not during. When the client fills it out in advance, your first meeting focuses on tax strategy and clarification instead of collecting names, SSNs, and addresses. A document collection portal lets you send the intake form and document request together, so the client completes both in one session.

Pair it with a document checklist

The intake form collects answers. The tax document checklist collects files. Send both at the same time. When a client reports self-employment income on the intake form, the checklist reminds them to upload their 1099-NECs and expense records.

Use conditional logic

A W-2 employee with no rental properties does not need the rental property section. A client with no business ownership does not need K-1 questions. Conditional logic cuts the form from 80 questions to the 25-30 that apply to each client -- which means fewer abandoned forms and faster completion.

Save responses for next year

Returning clients should not fill out the same form from scratch. Pre-fill with last year's data and ask them to confirm or update. "Same as last year, plus these changes" takes five minutes instead of thirty. And when a returning client's finances have grown more complex, that's the moment to introduce planning services: a financial planning questionnaire captures the goals and risk questions a tax intake form doesn't ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information should a tax preparation intake form collect?

Six sections: personal information (name, SSN, address, filing status), prior tax history (last return, notices, IP PIN), income sources (all types), deductions and credits (mortgage, charity, medical, education), life changes (marriage, children, home purchase, job change), and bank information for refund direct deposit.

What's the difference between a tax intake form and a tax organizer?

A tax intake form collects baseline client information -- it is a one-time onboarding questionnaire for new clients. A tax organizer is a more detailed annual questionnaire that collects both information and supporting documents. The intake form feeds into the organizer for subsequent years.

Should I use a paper or digital tax intake form?

Digital. Paper forms create handwriting legibility issues, require manual data entry, and cannot include file upload fields. A digital intake form collects structured data, allows document uploads inline, saves client progress, and sends automated reminders for incomplete submissions.

When should I send the intake form to new tax clients?

Right after the engagement letter is signed -- before the first meeting. This way the consultation focuses on tax strategy and clarification, not basic data collection. For the engagement letter, see our accounting client intake form guide.

How do I collect intake forms and tax documents together?

Use a platform that combines questionnaire fields with file upload fields. File Request Pro lets you build intake forms with text questions, dropdowns, and file upload areas -- clients answer the questions and upload supporting documents in one session through a single link.