IRS tax transcripts
Useful when a tax return copy is missing or incomplete.
Client document support
Bankruptcy document resources that save time.
This page collects the most common starting points for tax transcripts, credit reports, benefit information, and other records clients often need before or during bankruptcy preparation.
01
Document Sources
Where clients often find the records needed for bankruptcy review.
This page is meant to help clients retrieve records more efficiently before calling the office to ask where to start. It complements the portal checklist and the office intake instructions.
Credit reports
Helpful for identifying lenders, collection agencies, and account addresses.
Social Security information
Use official SSA resources if you need benefit verification or replacement guidance.
Vehicle records
Ohio title or registration information can matter in vehicle ownership review.
02
Priority Checklist
Records that usually matter most for an initial case evaluation.
Clients often spend too much time searching for lower-priority records first. Start with the items that typically move a bankruptcy review forward the fastest.
- Recent pay stubs and proof of all regular household income.
- Recent bank and investment statements showing balances and transactions.
- Most recent tax returns and any refund information.
- Mortgage, rent, vehicle, and insurance records for major monthly obligations.
- Photo ID, Social Security card, and any pending lawsuit or garnishment notices.
03
After You Upload
What the office can do once records start arriving in the portal.
The portal is not just a dropbox. The file is organized for review so the office can see what has arrived, what appears to be missing, and where follow-up questions are likely to come from.
Review
Documents stay in one file
Each upload is tied to the same submission record, which is more reliable than spreading records across multiple email threads.
Checklist
Missing items are easier to spot
Comments and document-status choices help distinguish truly missing records from items that are delayed or still being requested.
Return later
Clients can add records in stages
The same Submission ID can be reused when payroll records, bank statements, tax materials, or spouse records become available later.
Follow-up
Office questions become more precise
A cleaner upload set makes it easier to ask targeted questions about gaps, inconsistencies, or missing categories instead of restarting the intake from scratch.
04
Frequently Asked
Answers to common document problems before an upload.
These questions are written in plain language so clients can move forward instead of waiting on a callback for routine record issues.
I cannot find a tax return copy. What should I do?
Use the IRS transcript tools first, then upload what you recover. If you only have a partial return or transcript, submit it and add a note so the office knows what is still missing.
My bank only gives online statements one month at a time.
Download each statement separately and upload them together under the same submission. If a month is not available yet, submit the others and return later.
I get paid through multiple sources.
Upload all pay support you have, including pay stubs, 1099s, benefit letters, or screenshots from payroll portals if necessary, then explain any missing items in the comments.
Can I take photos instead of scanning?
Yes, if a scanner is not available. Make sure each page is readable, flat, and fully visible. Avoid dark shadows, screen photos, or cut-off margins.
What if one page of a statement is missing?
Upload the statement anyway and note which page is missing. Partial records are still useful, and the office can tell you whether the missing page must be retrieved before the file can move forward.
What if my tax return is only available as separate files?
Upload all of the pieces you have, even if the return, schedules, and W-2s are saved separately. The office would rather receive the full set in multiple files than wait for a perfectly combined PDF.
What if my bank statement download is password protected?
If possible, remove the password before uploading. If you cannot, upload the file and add a note explaining that it is password protected so the office knows why it may not process normally.
What if the document is sideways or upside down?
Upload it if that is all you have, but try to rotate it first when possible. Readable orientation helps the office and also improves the automated document review process running behind the portal.
What if my photos are dark or cut off?
Retake them before submitting if you can. The full page should be visible, sharp, and well lit. Missing corners, shadowed text, and cropped balances often mean the office has to request the same document again.
What if my employer uses an app and I can only screenshot the pay information?
Upload the screenshots for now and add a note that they came from the payroll app. If there is a way to download full pay stubs later, you can return with the same Submission ID and add them.
What if I have several small creditor letters but no recent monthly statements?
Upload the letters anyway. Collection notices, lawsuit papers, balance notices, and settlement letters can still help identify the creditor and confirm the debt even if a standard statement is unavailable.
What if I do not know which category a document belongs in?
Put it in the closest match or use the Additional Documents section in the portal. Add a short comment saying what you think the document is so the office can classify it correctly.
What if the account is shared with a spouse or another person?
Upload the full statement and explain in the comments who else is on the account. Joint accounts often matter in household financial review, even when only one spouse is filing.
What if I already sent some records by email before using the portal?
Use the portal anyway for the remaining documents and mention in the comments what was already emailed. That helps the office reconcile the file and decide whether anything still needs to be re-uploaded securely.
05
More Guidance
Use these pages when the problem is not finding the document, but knowing what to do next.
Resources alone do not answer every intake question. These pages explain how the portal works, what the office is trying to review, and what the site can and cannot do by itself.
Process page
Explains how the first upload becomes the working file and why later uploads should stay under the same submission instead of creating duplicates.
FAQ page
Answers the common “what if” questions that show up after the search for documents actually begins.
Document checklist
Use the checklist page when the main question is what the office usually needs before the first meaningful review can begin.
Deadline help
Use this page if the record hunt is being driven by a deadline rather than by normal document gathering.
Privacy page
Explains how to treat the site as information, the portal as the preferred document lane, and direct office contact as the path for urgent timing issues.
Upload portal
Once records are gathered, move them into the secure submission instead of holding everything back for one perfect packet.
Need a place to send the records after you find them?
Once you gather the documents, upload them through the secure portal so they stay grouped under one submission and can be reviewed efficiently.