Do you still file your taxes using paper records? You’re not by yourself. Despite the claims made by National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins that “paper is the IRS’ Kryptonite,” the IRS actually received about 12 million paper tax returns in 2024, and substantial tax forms are still sent to many people. The majority of us are fortunate enough to have digital copies of our tax returns, but if you do not, don’t worry—scanning documents with your phone or tablet and importing them into TurboTax, TaxSlayer, or your preferred tax program is simple.
When you digitize your tax forms, you may instantly submit information, such as your tax identification number and sources of income, to the service you’re using without having to type everything by hand, which is frequently inconvenient if your taxes are complicated.
This article is a part of CNET’s Taxes 2025 coverage, which covers the top tax software, tax advice, and all the other information you need to file your taxes and monitor your refund.
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All you need is your phone or tablet to convert any paper tax returns you may have into a digital version. Whether you have an iOS or Android smartphone, you can easily scan a physical document with your camera and turn it into a PDF using built-in capabilities on both platforms. Here’s how.
Make sure to look into the reasons for filing as soon as feasible and the ways in which you can
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How to use your iPhone or iPad to scan your tax paperwork
There are a several methods to use your iPhone or iPad’s camera to scan documents, but we’ll be concentrating on utilizing the Files app. Because the document is stored in Files, making it simple to modify and distribute on your computer or other devices, this option is recommended.
- Launch the Files application first.
- Next, press the menu symbol with three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Select Document Scan.
On iOS, physical documents may be scanned using the Files app.
After that, you’ll be prompted to place the document in view as your camera opens. Thegreat — and add a filter (such as grayscale) to improve their readability. If you’re happy with the scans, tap Save to store the document as a PDF in the Files app. You can then rename the document or share it via email. If you plan on filing taxes on your mobile device, you may also submit the PDF to any tax applications using the Files app.
How to scan your tax papers with your Android
There are several methods for scanning documents on Android, however they often differ significantly based on the phone type. Some phones do not have built-in document scanners in their camera applications, although phones more recent than the Pixel 7 and the Galaxy S22 have. Consequently, we’ll beuse the Google Drive app to scan documents (while it isn’t built-in, it works just as well because it comes preloaded on the majority of Android devices).
- Start by launching the Google Drive application.
- Next, press the blue plus button located at the lower right corner.
- Next, press Scan.
Scan tax forms easily using Google Drive.
Place the camera directly on top of your actual tax document, which should be flat on a nonreflective surface, and position it within the frame. To snap a picture, make sure the tax document is in focus before pressing the shutter button. Tap OK if the image appears to be excellent. You should then see an automatically cropped image of your tax paperwork. After that, you canadd a filter to the document (such as black and white), rotate it and edit the borders. If you want to add more documents, tap on the + icon on the bottom-left.
If you’re happy with your scans, hit Save on the bottom right. Then, you can give the document a name, choose an account (in case you have multiple) and select a folder to save the document (as a PDF) in. Once you do that, hit Save again on the bottom-right. With your tax document saved to Google Drive, you can add comments, search through it via keywords and of course share it via email or directly to any tax apps you might have on your Android.
Now that it’s tax season, you might have questions. If you want to learn more, check out all the tax breaks for homeowners and learn when you’ll get your child tax credit refund.