The basic individual income tax form is the 1040. You can use the shorter, simpler 1040A if you don't own a business and your taxable income was under $100,000. The 1040EZ is the shortest and simplest individual return form. The EZ can be used if your income comes solely from wages, interest, or unemployment compensation. You cannot claim any deductions, dependents, or adjustments to income if you use the 1040EZ.

If your investment company or trust had capital gains it did not distribute, you should have received Form 2439. You should report the amount on this form on your 1040. You may be able to receive a refund or credit for the taxes your investment company paid on these gains.

If you had interest expenses related to your investments, another form to remember is Form 4952. The purpose of this form is to calculate the amount of investment interest expense you can deduct on your tax return. Investment interest is interest paid on loans for property you hold as an investment. This does not include home mortgage interest. It is important to note that the term property here does not mean real estate. It refers to any capital assets you are investing in.

The IRS tries to make it easy for you to break down your various sources of income and expenses using separate forms called schedules, which become part of the IRS 1040 and respective forms.