Although National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins has said that “paper is the IRS's kryptonite,” the truth is that the agency received about 12 million paper tax returns last year, and many taxpayers still receive important tax forms in the mail. Most of us are lucky enough to have digital versions of our tax documents, but if not, don't worry – it's easy to scan documents with your phone or tablet to import them into TurboTax, TaxSlayer, or your own favorite tax software to import.
When you digitize your tax forms, you can easily upload information such as your tax identification number and sources of income to the service you use, without having to enter everything manually, which can often be tedious when working with complicated taxes.
This story is part of Taxes 2024CNET's coverage of the best tax software, tax tips, and everything else you need to file your tax return and track your refund.
You can convert any physical tax documents you have into a digital format using just your phone or tablet. Whether you have an iOS or Android device, there are tools built into iPhone or Android that allow you to quickly scan a physical document using your camera and easily convert it to a PDF file. Here's how.
While you're here, be sure to check out our 2024 Tax Cheat Sheet and how to file your taxes for free in 2024.
How to scan your tax documents with your iPhone or iPad
If you have an iPhone or iPad, you have several options for scanning your documents with your camera, but we'll focus on using the Files app. This method is preferred because the document is saved in files, making it easy to edit and share on your computer or other devices.
1. First open the files app.
2. Then tap Three dots menu icon top right.
3. Blow Scan documents.
The Files app lets you scan physical documents on iOS.
Your camera will then open and you will be asked to position the document in view. The best way to scan your tax document is to place it on a flat surface, such as a table or desk, in a well-lit location. Stay away from surfaces that are white or reflect too much light, otherwise the camera will not be able to scan the document properly.
Now position the phone or tablet so that it is directly above the document. A blue overlay appears on the document indicating that it is being scanned. If the document is scanned correctly, it will automatically be included in your completed scans so you can scan additional documents if necessary.
You can then tap the document preview at the bottom left to rescan or edit your documents. You can crop them – if the automatic scanning wasn't good – and add a filter (e.g. grayscale) to improve their readability. When you're happy with the scans, tap Save to save the document as a PDF in the Files app. You can then rename the document or share it via email. If you plan to file taxes on your mobile device, you can also upload the PDF to any tax apps using the Files app.
How to scan your tax documents with your Android
There are several ways to scan documents on Android, but they usually differ slightly depending on the phone model. While newer phones than the Pixel 7 and Galaxy S22 have a built-in document scanner in their camera apps, other phones don't. Instead, we scan documents via the Google Drive app (which technically isn't built-in, but most Android devices come pre-installed with the Google Drive app, so just as well).
1. First open the Google Drive app.
2. Then tap on the blue icon + button bottom right.
3. Then tap scan.
Google Drive makes it easy to scan tax forms.
Lay your physical tax document flat on a non-reflective surface, place the camera directly over the paper, and position it in the frame. Make sure the tax document is in focus, then press the shutter button to take a photo. If the image looks good, tap OK. You should then see an automatically cropped image of your tax document. You can then add a filter to the document (e.g. black and white), rotate it, and edit the edges. If you want to add more documents, tap + Icon at the bottom left.
When you're happy with your scans, click Save bottom right. You can then give the document a name, select an account (if you have more than one), and select a folder to save the document (as a PDF). Once you've done that, click Save again at the bottom right. With your tax document saved in Google Drive, you can add comments, search it by keyword, and of course share it via email or directly to any tax apps you may have on your Android.
Now that it's tax season, you may have questions. If you'd like to learn more, check out all the tax breaks for homeowners and find out who can claim the child tax credit this year.
