September is National Preparedness Month, and for most households that means checking the flashlight batteries, restocking the first aid kit, or reviewing an evacuation route. Financial and tax records rarely make that list, but they matter just as much. Having your records organized and accessible can be the difference between a smooth recovery and a stressful scramble when the unexpected happens.
Here are a few practical steps you can take this month to build financial preparedness into your emergency plan, along with what to do if you ever need to replace lost records.
Review Your Plan Every Year
An emergency preparedness plan is most useful when it reflects your life today. Setting aside time each year, ideally around the same time you review your finances more broadly, helps keep your plan current as your family, assets, and circumstances change.1 Ready.gov offers free checklists and planning tools that can help you build or update a plan for your household or business, whether you are starting from scratch or refreshing something you already have in place.
Create Electronic Copies of Important Documents
Important documents are most secure from a house fire, flood, or theft when they’ve been digitized. Scanning key records, insurance policies, estate documents, deeds, and identification, and storing digital copies on an encrypted flash drive or in the cloud is easier than ever. Taking this step gives you a second copy that does not depend on a single physical location.2 Many banks and financial institutions also offer electronic statements, which can provide another accessible record if you have not already enrolled.
Document What You Own
We all have a mini recording studio in the palm of our hands. This is a great opportunity to put your smartphone to good use. A simple video walkthrough of your home, narrating what you see room by room, can make it easier to document your belongings for insurance claims and potential tax-related purposes after a disaster. The IRS also provides disaster loss workbooks that can help taxpayers organize and document property before a loss occurs.3 Photos of major purchases, along with receipts when you have them, add another layer of documentation.
Know What Tax Relief May Be Available
Help is available to people affected by a disaster. When a federally declared disaster affects a region, the IRS often extends filing and payment deadlines for taxpayers in that area, and in many cases, applies that relief automatically.4 The IRS's Around the Nation page lets you check disaster-related tax relief available in your state. If you have questions about your situation, you can call the IRS Special Services Hotline at 866-562-5227 to speak with an IRS specialist about disaster-related questions.
Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts, may not be your next beach read. But it is a useful reference if you are trying to understand how a loss may affect your tax return. Alternatively, a tax professional can walk through the specifics with you.
Lost Tax Records? Here Is How to Replace Them
If your tax records are lost or damaged, replacing them is rather straightforward. The IRS Get Transcript service on IRS.gov allows you to request a transcript of a previously filed return online, and Form 4506 can be used to request a full copy by mail.5 Keeping a note of which method you used, and when, can help if you need to follow up.
A Small Step With a Real Payoff
Many of these steps are relatively simple on their own, but together they can meaningfully shorten your recovery timeline if the unexpected happens. Building financial preparedness into your existing emergency plan, rather than treating it as a separate task, is often the easiest way to make sure it actually gets done.
If you would like to talk through how your financial records and broader financial plan could be better prepared for the unexpected, the Liberty Wealth Advisors team is here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to take action if I live in a federally declared disaster area? In many cases, the IRS applies filing and payment relief automatically to taxpayers in the affected area. Relief is often applied automatically to taxpayers with an IRS address of record in the affected area, but it is still worth checking the Around the Nation page to confirm what applies to you.4
What is the simplest way to start backing up my financial documents? Scanning your most important paper documents and saving them to a secure cloud account or an encrypted external drive is a good starting point. You do not need to digitize everything at once. Start with items that would be hardest to replace: identification, deeds, insurance policies, and estate documents.
Where can I get information from a tax return I can no longer find? The IRS Get Transcript service can provide a transcript of a previously filed return. If you need an actual copy of the return, you can request one using Form 4506.5
Should I document my belongings before or after I file an insurance claim? Before. Having photos, video, or a workbook-style inventory ready ahead of time speeds up the claims process and helps ensure nothing is overlooked.
1 Ready.gov, 2026
2 IRS.gov, Tax Tip 2025-64
3 IRS.gov, Disaster Loss Workbooks
4 IRS.gov, Around the Nation Disaster Relief Page
5 IRS.gov, Form 4506 and Get Transcript
Disclosure: This blog is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Please consult a qualified tax or legal professional regarding your individual situation.