What will the agent ask you?
A good agent asks before it answers. Expect questions like these, and answer the ones that matter to you.
- Which tax year and state are we preparing for?
- Did you have income besides a paycheck: freelance, interest, investments, a rental?
- Which expenses were for work or a business?
- Did you pay estimated taxes, and when?
- Any big life changes: marriage, a baby, a move, a home purchase?
- Which documents do you already have?
What does a good answer look like?
A worked example on sample data: a salaried employee with a freelance side business, a brokerage account, and estimated payments during 2026. The figures are illustrative.
You
My tax appointment is in February. What do I need to bring?
Your agent
Here's your packet so far. Income: your W-2, which your employer has to send by February 1; $18,400 of freelance income from three clients, each deposit linked; and a 1099 from your brokerage. Some clients send a 1099-NEC and some don't. The income is reportable either way, so bring the full list.
Your agent
Estimated payments: I found April, June, and September. The January 15 payment hasn't posted from your checking. Did you pay it from another account?
Your agent
Questions for your preparer, not deductions yet: $2,340 of software and a laptop used for the business, and a $1,200 desk for your home office. Still missing: the brokerage 1099 and your 2025 return for reference. I'll keep these open in my notes until you've got them.
Illustrative example with sample data, not a customer result.
What does a weak answer look like?
Here are common tax deductions you might be able to claim: home office, mileage, charitable donations, medical expenses, student loan interest, and education credits. Make sure to keep your receipts!
- A generic list, not your situation. It doesn't know you have a side business.
- It calls things deductions without knowing whether they qualify; that's your preparer's call.
- No missing documents, no estimated payments, no dates.
Organize evidence for your preparer
Tax preparation starts with the year, jurisdiction, income sources, and documents that apply to you. Candor helps your agent locate financial activity and preserve references to the records. You identify personal versus business context, and your preparer determines how the evidence should be treated.
Check the answer
- Keep possible expenses as review candidates. A merchant or category label does not establish deductibility.
- Identify missing statements and distinguish transaction records from the official documents your preparer needs. Keep source dates and open questions attached.
Choose a next step
Review the packet before sharing it with your tax professional. This workflow does not file a return, send documents, or make payments.
Where Candor fits
Your agent works through the question with you, builds the plan, and keeps you on it. Candor gives it your real accounts, exact figures, and the goals, budget, notes, and decisions from earlier sessions, in whichever agent you use. Every week its review raises what's worth talking through and tells your agent why. Candor is not a licensed advisor and gives no advice; your agent does the advising, and the decisions are yours.
- Read-only: Candor cannot move money.
- Candor never sells your financial data or trains models on it, and you can export or delete it.
- Every agent read and change is recorded with its reason.
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Common questions
- When are 2026 taxes due?
- April 15, 2027, for most individual returns. An extension on Form 4868 gives six more months to file, not to pay. The last 2026 estimated tax payment is due January 15, 2027.
- Can ChatGPT do my taxes?
- It can help you get organized: list income sources, find transactions, and draft questions. It shouldn't decide what's deductible or file for you. Use a preparer or tax software for the return, and check anything it tells you against IRS guidance.
- When will I get my W-2?
- Employers must furnish 2026 W-2s by February 1, 2027, because January 31 falls on a Sunday. If yours hasn't arrived, ask your employer first.
- Does Candor file my taxes or send my documents?
- No. Candor is read-only. It gives your agent the records to find income and expenses and keeps the open questions as notes. Your preparer decides how each item is treated.
Sources
- When to file Internal Revenue Service, May 22, 2026
- Estimated tax: individuals (FAQ) Internal Revenue Service
- Employment tax due dates Internal Revenue Service, April 21, 2026