Prompt details

Tested on

Claude Opus 5.5

Length

547 words · 4 fill-ins

Example input

[Where you file and filing status]: Sacramento, California. Married filing jointly with my husband, Marco. We file federal and California returns. A friend helped us with tax software last time; this time we're seeing a preparer.

[Your income sources]: Me (Elena): - Part-time W-2 job at a camera shop: about $18,400 - Freelance photography (weddings, family sessions, some magazine work): about $31,600 gross - An events company paid me $6,200 and a magazine paid $1,800; both said they'd send forms - $14,300 came through Square card payments - $9,300 came by check, Zelle and Venmo (some marked goods and services, some not) Marco: W-2 teacher with the school district, $64,000. He also puts money into the district's 403(b). Joint: savings account interest, about $210. We made two federal estimated tax payments of $1,500 each. We made no California estimated payments.

[Life changes during the year]: Our son was born in month 7. I took about 10 weeks off and received California Paid Family Leave payments, about $5,900. From month 10 he went to a licensed home daycare two days a week: about $1,950 in total. Marco put $1,200 into a dependent care FSA through his job. We rent a 1,350 sq ft apartment ($2,300 a month, utilities about $240 a month). From month 3 I've used the second bedroom (120 sq ft) only as my office and editing room.

[Self-employment expenses]: - New camera body: $3,400 (month 4) - Lens: $1,250 - Memory cards, batteries, small gear: $190 - Photo editing software subscription: $240 - Website and hosting: $216 - Online client gallery service: $180 - Gear insurance: $420 - Instagram ads: $600 - Wedding expo booth: $450 - Second shooter for 4 weddings: $2,100 (paid by Venmo) - Props and backdrops: $380 - Mileage: about 3,800 miles to shoots; I have a log in an app for most of it - Phone: $85 a month, I'd guess half is business - Meals with clients: about $160

Example output

1. My situation

Filing: Married filing jointly (Elena and Marco), federal and California returns, Sacramento renters. Your son was born in month 7, so this is likely the first year you claim a dependent.
Income: two W-2 jobs (Elena $18,400; Marco $64,000 with 403(b) contributions), Elena's freelance photography at $31,600 gross, California Paid Family Leave about $5,900, and joint savings interest about $210.
Self-employment: about $10,096 in listed expenses before mileage and home office (detail in section 4). The listed expenses include a $3,400 camera and $1,250 lens, a 120 sq ft home office from month 3, and a $2,100 second shooter paid by Venmo.
Payments: two federal estimated payments of $1,500 each ($3,000 total). No California estimated payments.
Childcare: licensed home daycare from month 10, $1,950 total, with $1,200 run through Marco's dependent care FSA.

*Assumptions: "from month 3" means the start of month 3, so 10 months of office use. Your son has, or will have, a Social Security number before you file.*

2. Documents to gather

Income

[ ] Form W-2 for Elena, from the camera shop
[ ] Form W-2 for Marco, from the school district. Box 12 should show the 403(b) and Box 10 the dependent care FSA.
[ ] Form 1099-NEC from the events company ($6,200)
[ ] Form 1099-NEC from the magazine ($1,800)
[ ] Form 1099-K from Square ($14,300; it may show gross before fees and refunds)
[ ] Form 1099-K from Venmo/PayPal, if issued for goods-and-services payments. Zelle and checks usually come with no form.
[ ] Your own income ledger for the $9,300 in check, Zelle and Venmo payments, with dates, client names and amounts
[ ] Form 1099-INT from your bank for the ~$210 interest. Banks may not send one below a threshold (confirm for this tax year), but the interest is still reported.
[ ] Form 1099-G from the California EDD for Paid Family Leave (~$5,900)
[ ] Federal estimated payment records (2 × $1,500), from your IRS online account or bank statements, with dates paid
[ ] Last year's federal and California returns

Life changes

[ ] Son's Social Security card, or the number and the birth certificate

Claude Opus 5.5

Tax Prep Checklist – Tax prep checklist prompt for ChatGPT and Claude

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Claude Opus 5.5

This prompt builds a tax prep checklist from your situation. Paste where you file, your income, life changes and business expenses; you get documents to gather, credits to ask about, expense totals and questions for your preparer.

What you get

Every document to gather, by income source and life change, with the form name and who sends it
Deductions and credits to ask about, each marked check eligibility with what decides it
Self-employment expenses sorted and totalled, with the records each one needs
What is easy to miss, questions for your preparer and deadlines to confirm

How to use it

1
List every income source
Include jobs, freelance work, payment apps, leave payments and interest, with rough amounts, how you were paid and any estimated tax payments.
2
Gather what it lists
Work through the document checklist and fill in the amounts it left as placeholders, such as mileage and payment fees.
3
Take it to your preparer
Bring the checklist and the questions, and let a CPA, enrolled agent or licensed preparer decide every item marked check eligibility.

Better results

Leave out Social Security numbers, account numbers and your address. The checklist needs amounts and situations, not identifiers.
Paste last year's list of business expenses if you have one, so nothing that recurs, such as software or insurance, drops off the new list.
Run it again halfway through next tax year with what has changed so far, to plan estimated payments and records early.

Questions

Can AI do my taxes?

Not on its own. AI can organise your documents, sort expenses and list the deductions and credits to ask about, but it cannot see your forms, may not know the current year's rules and is not a licensed preparer. Use it to prepare, then file with software or a professional.

Can ChatGPT fill out US tax forms?

ChatGPT can explain what a form asks for and which of your figures belong where, but it should not be your preparer, because it can be wrong about current limits and rules. Complete and file the forms with tax software or a CPA, enrolled agent or licensed preparer.

What documents do I need to file taxes?

You need a form for each income source, such as W-2, 1099-NEC, 1099-K, 1099-INT or 1099-G, plus records for any deductions or credits: childcare receipts with the provider's ID, business receipts, a mileage log and home office measurements. This prompt lists them for your situation.

What can a freelancer deduct?

Freelancers can usually deduct ordinary and necessary business costs: equipment, software, advertising, contract labour, business mileage, part of a phone and, with exclusive use, a home office. Each has its own rules and records, and limits change, so confirm them with a tax professional.

Updated 8 Nov 2026