Filing by mail, does everything printed go in the envelope?

[morg2019]

I am filing by mail and have printed my turbo tax returns. Do I include everything in the envelope that I printed

[mesquitebean]

@morg2019 

Why are you filing by mail?  We might be able to help you efile, which is better and faster.

If you have both Federal and state returns, they go to different tax agencies in separate envelopes.  

We don't know what all you printed, so we have no way to answer your question about whether you enclose "everything."  Chances are, however, that some pages were printed that you may not need to enclose.

There should be a page called Filing Instructions in your paperwork.   Try to find that to guide you.  It should also have the proper mailing address to use based on your location.  The particular address to use depends on whether or not you are enclosing a payment with your return.

  You do not send worksheets,  instructions, summary pages, etc. that may have printed.   You send only the required forms per the following IRS instructions for Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR which I copied form the IRS website.  

NOTE: these instructions may include forms that you do not have or need, depending on your situation.

"ASSEMBLE YOUR RETURN:

Assemble any schedules and forms behind Form 1040 or 1040-SR in order of the “Attachment Sequence No.” shown in the upper-right corner of the schedule or form. If you have supporting statements, arrange them in the same order as the schedules or forms they support and attach them last. File your return, schedules, and other attachments on standard size paper. Cutting the paper may cause problems in processing your return. Don’t attach correspondence or other items unless required to do so. Attach Forms W-2 and 2439 to Form 1040 or 1040-SR. If you received a Form W-2c (a corrected Form W-2), attach your original Forms W-2 and any Forms W-2c. Attach Forms W-2G and 1099-R to Form 1040 or 1040-SR if tax was withheld."

[mesquitebean]

@morg2019 

If you also have a state return to mail, then look for a page in your PDF/printout with the state Filing Instructions on how to mail to your state.   Some states require that a copy of the Federal return be mailed along with the state return.

If your state requires a Federal copy, then you'll need 2 copies of the Federal return--one to mail to the IRS, and one to enclose with your state return that you mail to the state tax agency.

[mesquitebean]

@morg2019 

Also, it's a good idea to mail the returns by a method that has tracking, such as certified mail, Priority Mail, etc., which will show proof of mailing, and will also tell you if/when they were received.

[morg2019]

Hi there, thanks for the answer, sorry for my initial question being so vague.  Filing by mail is my only option; I've had the run around with my AGI not matching the IRS's database. I've tried inputting 0, the same number from my 1040 from last year, and I've tried to make an account online to request my transcripts but the IRS says my credit card info doesn't match or that my wife phone number doesn't match so our identities cant be "verified".  I don't want to file by mail, but I have no choice at this point being the due date is nearing.  

I do still have a question though, when you say worksheets, what are the "worksheets" exactly? What I've printed includes the instructions sheet, 1040 form,  "Additional Income and Adjustments to Income" Schedule 1, Schedule 2, Schedule C "Profit and Loss", Schedule SE "Self Employment Tax", form 8995, form 8962, and lastly an "electronic postmark-certification of electronic filing" (which says that my return was rejected by the IRS). 

I'm assuming the instruction sheets and electronic postmark showing the rejection don't need to be included.  But, do all the other forms get mailed? 

[mesquitebean]

Worksheets are intermediary pages that make calculations before the results are transferred to an official form in your return.  Many of them say "Worksheet" in the title.    Your PDF may or may not have any worksheets.  It depends on where you downloaded it and which kind of PDF you chose.    When you download from the Print Center inside the return, you have a choice of downloading just the return or the return plus all the worksheets.   If you downloaded at the Tax Home, or printed in the FILE section, then your PDF may not have any worksheets.   In any case, if your PDF has worksheets, you do not mail the worksheets.  Many of them even say "for your records."

In the forms you listed above, you are correct that you do NOT mail the Filing Instructions or the electronic postmark.   You would send the other forms you listed.  They should have an attachment number in the upper right corner showing the sequence you would attach them behind the Form 1040.   (see image below)

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And as I mentioned in the IRS instructions I pasted earlier, you would attach a copy of any W-2, as well any W-2G (if applicable) or 1099-R (if applicable) if tax was withheld.