Preparing to file your taxes isn’t fun, even if your situation is straightforward. No matter what, you still have to gather all the forms you get and save them for several years in case the IRS comes knocking, or you are applying for big loans, like a mortgage.
I have a relatively simple process for saving and naming my forms so that they’re easy to find while I’m doing my taxes and well into the future. My way of doing it isn’t right or wrong, but it’s clear and simple. If you need some help, give it a try.
1. Create a Folder on Your Computer (or Phone) and Name It ‘2025’
Start by making a folder for the current year and naming it ‘2025.’ I use each year’s folders to store documents, photos, and videos I created in that year or are otherwise relevant to it. I have folders like this going back to 2005.
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2. Back Up the Folder Somewhere Secure
Make sure the folder you create is backing up somewhere secure. It doesn’t matter if you use a simple cloud storage and file syncing program, like (such as Dropbox, OneDrive, and iCloud) or dedicated backup software, so long as you back it up.
3. Create a Subfolder Called ‘2024 Taxes’
Stick with me here. You’re doing your taxes in the year 2025, but the filing that you’re preparing is for tax year 2024. If the IRS ever asks you about your tax filing, it’s going to refer to the tax year. Yes, it’s confusing, but doing it this way will make things easier in the long run.
I came up with this particular organization and naming method for the subfolder after several years of debating the best way to handle it. This setup has not failed me yet. I always go to the current year folder to work on my taxes, and if I need to quickly search for, say, my tax return from 2019, I know the correct folder will turn up when I search for it.
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4. Put Your Tax Forms Into the Subfolder
Put all the tax forms you receive into the subfolder corresponding to the correct tax year. A lot of your forms probably come as digital copies via a secure web portal, like your online bank account or your employer’s payroll system. If you receive any paper forms, scan them so you have a digital copy.
5. Use This Naming Convention for All the Forms You Receive
All the forms you put into the folder need a clear file name. Use the below convention to get exactly the information you need quickly and efficiently every time you have to refer to your tax documents (I break down exactly what it means below):
YEAR_NAME_FORM_INSTITUTION
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Year refers to the tax year.
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Name refers to your name. I include it so that I don’t confuse my tax forms with anyone else’s in my family. I’m the only one with the last name Duffy, so I use that.
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Form refers to the name of the form, like 1099-INT, 1099-MISC, or W-2. If you receive a form that doesn’t have a clear name on it, make a guess as to its importance and slot that in instead. An example is ‘Rental-Property-Income.’
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Institution refers to the entity that sent you the form. This is the name of your bank, employer, investment firm, property management company, and so on.
A quick note on the underscores: You don’t need them. When I first learned to use computers, putting blank spaces into a file or folder name would mess it up, so I trained myself to use underscores and hyphens, and the habit stuck. Spaces aren’t a problem now in most cases, however, so feel free to use them if you like.
There’s a reason I put the pieces of the file name in the order you see above—year, name, form, institution. When you sort all the files in a folder alphabetically (which is likely the default), they automatically fall into an order that makes it dead simple to find what you need. All the forms that pertain to you appear in a group. All your 1099s are together, too. If you need to find, say, a 1099-INT from Bank X, your eye goes right to the 1099 group, and you see “Bank X” in the name quickly. Voilà. There’s the form you want.
6. Use a Slightly Different Naming Convention for Other Documents
You may have more documents related to your taxes that you want to save that aren’t standardized forms. For example, if you’re claiming any medical deductions or other tax write-offs, you might have receipts, spreadsheets, and other files.
Save all these documents to the same subfolder. If you have a lot of files pertaining to other areas, like business expenses, you might make yet another subfolder for them. Then, change the naming convention above just slightly and rename these files. Here’s an example:
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7. Create One More Subfolder for Copies of Your Filings and Receipts
The last step is to create a subfolder to keep copies of the tax return you file and other receipts you get when you file. Name it something like
It doesn’t matter if you use tax software or have an accountant who does your taxes. You will always get a final copy of your filing. (If you file on paper, scan all the pages of your final federal and state returns and upload them to your subfolder before you put them in envelopes and mail them.) When your tax software or accountant e-files the returns, you also get a receipt. Save that to your Final Filings folder as well.
Should you rename all the files that go into this folder as well to make them easy to find? You can, and it would be a best practice to do so, but by this point, you’re probably sick of doing taxes and don’t want to do any more work. That’s fine! Your system is already in place well enough that if you skip the final step, you should still be able to find what you need with minimal trouble.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Worry About Doing It Perfectly
You don’t have to do every step exactly as I say, but if you do most of them, you likely won’t ever have any trouble finding the tax documents you need. Looking back through my folders, I have unintentionally deviated from my naming convention several times, but I still have enough information in the right places to help guide me to what I need fairly quickly. You don’t have to be perfect, but putting in the work now will help future you.
For more advice, check out our stories on how to get a bigger refund and the best personal finance apps we’ve tested.
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About Jill Duffy
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