Step 3: Get the right tax documentation

It might be hard to find all the documents you need in public institutions like libraries and post offices. Instead of wasting your time looking for every single piece, you can go online and get each one of them from a trusted website.

If you go on the IRS website, for instance, you can access a wide variety of IRS forms and publications. Your search can even go as far back as 1980 if you use the document numbers or dates. Moreover, the IRS will also provide links to state tax forms and publications.