2025 FEDERAL RETURN · MANUAL ENTRY

Understand your tax return.

See where your income came from, understand your tax balance, and build a list of questions for your next review.

Your return at a glance

Use a 2025 Form 1040, not a business return or 1040-NR. Enter every field below; use 0 only when the return shows zero or the line does not apply. Do not enter identifying information.

Filing status

Total income1040 line 9Adjusted gross income (AGI)1040 line 11bTotal deductions1040 line 14Taxable income1040 line 15Nonrefundable credits1040 line 21Total federal tax1040 line 24Federal withholding1040 line 25dEstimated payments & prior-year amount applied1040 line 26Total payments & refundable credits1040 line 33

Where your income came from

Optional. Copy the taxable amounts shown on the return. These are tax-reporting figures, not total cash received. A rental loss may be limited even when the property is correctly reported.

Wages & earned income1040 line 1zTaxable interest1040 line 2bOrdinary dividends1040 line 3b; includes qualified dividends—do not add line 3a againTaxable IRA distributions1040 line 4bTaxable pensions & annuities1040 line 5bTaxable Social Security1040 line 6bCapital gain or loss1040 line 7a; enter the reported amount after any loss limitBusiness profit or lossSchedule 1 line 3Rentals, royalties & pass-through income or lossSchedule 1 line 5; includes Schedule E results after applicable limitsAll remaining Schedule 1 incomeSchedule 1 line 10 minus lines 3 and 5; may be negative

I entered every applicable income category. Treat remaining blank categories as zero and compare the total with Form 1040.

Rental-property check

Optional. Include properties rented or available for rent during 2025. Use Property 1, Property 2, and so on—no addresses. Add properties you expected to see, then check where each is accounted for.

A property owned through a partnership or S corporation may be detailed on the entity return, with your share reported through a K-1. Personal-use homes and properties not yet placed in service need a different review.

What is changing for 2026?

Choose the topics you want to plan for. These generate discussion points, not a new tax calculation or a determination of eligibility.

Income or job changesBusiness or freelance incomeBuying, selling, or changing a rentalRetirement contributions or distributionsMarriage, dependents, or moving states

Understand your tax return.

Your return at a glance

Where your income came from

Rental-property check

What is changing for 2026?

Your summary

Income breakdown

Items to review

Your planning checklist