5 Tips To Get A Head Start On Your Tax Organization
Organizing your taxes can seem like an impossible task, especially if you wait until the last minute to start working on it. Fortunately, if you take some time to get organized early in the year and schedule plenty of time to work on your taxes at least twice a month, youāll find that the process becomes much easier to handle when April finally rolls around.
Here are five tips to get yourself started with getting your taxes organized early this year.
1. Download Helpful Software
Before you can start organizing your receipts, youāll need some helpful software. Good news: there are plenty of great apps and programs out there that make tax filing simple, like TurboTax (which is, appropriately enough, an app). However, if you prefer something more old-school, try a program like Quicken or QuickBooks.Whatever you choose, make sure it will help keep track of all your income and expenses ā and donāt forget to look into whether or not it offers any special discounts for individuals!
2. Organize Income Documents
Itās smart to organize W2s, 1099s, and other income documents well before tax season, so you donāt scramble when preparing your taxes. You can scan these documents or take photos of them with your phone. Organizing is just as important as having all your documentation, if not more so.3. Gather Your Records
Start gathering your records and receipts for tax filing as soon as you can. That way, you wonāt have to scramble around in April trying to locate them all. Make sure you have everything stored in one place ā a desk drawer or box will work just fine ā so itās easy to access when tax season rolls around.4. Consider a Tax Preparer
If you canāt or donāt want to handle your own taxes, another option is to hire a tax preparer. Youāll still be responsible for filing and paying applicable taxes (or penalties), but it will take away some of the hassles of organizing receipts and other paperwork.Hiring someone to help you with your taxes also means that you wonāt have to worry about making mistakes on returns ā which could result in additional fees and penalties from the I.R.S. Many preparers also offer discounts for early birds who file before tax day!
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