You'll know what to gather
Every document, statement and form your preparer is going to ask for, listed in one place, so you can collect it in a single sitting rather than in seven separate emails.
Free checklist · Mental health & wellness practices
Make tax season easier with this essential checklist.
An organized list of everything a mental health or wellness practice needs to pull together before filing, so tax season becomes an afternoon of admin instead of three weeks of dread.
Free, no card required
Created by Safietou D. Russell, CPA, EA, MST
Works whether you file yourself or not
Why it helps
Three things change the moment you have a list
Tax season often becomes more difficult when the required documents and records are not organized in advance.
You'll understand what to prepare
Not just which papers to find, but what needs reconciling, categorizing or reconstructing before those papers actually mean anything on a return.
You'll avoid the last-minute scramble
The last-minute April scramble often begins when tax preparation is delayed earlier in the year. Working through the list early turns a deadline into a date on a calendar.
A preview
A few things the checklist helps you organize
The checklist covers important records your tax preparer may request, including:
- Income documentation
- Expense records
- Payroll and contractor forms
Download the complete checklist for the full list of categories, documents to gather and helpful reminders.
How to use it
Print it, work down it, stop worrying about it
The checklist is designed to be worked through once, in order, rather than referred to anxiously. Start at the top, collect what you have, and mark the gaps. The gaps are the useful part, they tell you precisely what to chase and from whom.
If you file your own return, this is the assembly list you have been missing. If you work with a preparer, it is a preview of what they are about to request, which turns a fortnight of back-and-forth into a single upload.
And if you get halfway down and realize your books are not in a state where any of this is answerable, that is worth knowing in January rather than the week before the deadline.
Who this is for
- Therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and nurse practitioners
- Counselors, coaches and wellness practice owners
- Group practice owners with employees or contractors
- Anyone who spent last April swearing this year would be different
Get your copy
Essential Checklist for Mental Health and Wellness Practices
Enter your name and email and the checklist arrives in your inbox. It is free, and it stays free.
- Organized by category so you can work through it in one sitting.
- Written for practices, not adapted from a generic small-business list.
- Useful either way, whether you file your own return or hand it to a preparer.
- Unsubscribe in one click. Your details are never sold or shared.
Quick questions
Before You Request It
When should I start working through it?
Ideally in January, while the year just ended is still fresh in your memory. But the honest answer is whenever you open it. Working through it in October is better still, because several items are things you can still influence before the year closes, which is exactly what year-end planning is for.
Is this only useful if I already have an accountant?
Not at all. If you file your own return, the checklist is the assembly list you have been missing. If you work with a preparer, it is a preview of everything they are about to ask for, which usually turns two weeks of email back-and-forth into one upload.
Does it cover state filings as well as federal?
The checklist covers the documents and records that apply broadly, because those are the same wherever you practice. State-specific filings vary by where you are licensed and where your clients sit, so those questions belong in a consultation or an ongoing engagement.
What if the checklist just proves my books are a mess?
Then it did its job. Clean-up is one of the most common ways clients start with us, and you are in very good company. We assess how far behind things are, quote the catch-up work separately so there are no surprises, then move you onto a monthly rhythm. See accounting & bookkeeping.