Home
>
Tax
>
Organizing Your Taxes

Organizing Your Taxes

Does this scene sound familiar? It's April 7. You haven't seen the top of your dining room table in two weeks because of the piles of paid bills, receipts, canceled checks, and unidentified cash register receipts covering it. Your head pounds and your stomach churns as the countdown to April 15 begins.

You might hate to pay taxes, think the system is unfair, dislike the forms, and even stage a mini-tax rebellion, but in the end the tax man cometh ? with penalty if you're not careful! The key to your survival is taking an organized approach to this unavoidable task.

There are really two issues here. Number one, of course, is getting the information together for this year's tax return. Number two is developing a strategy, which will eliminate the panic you're feeling now next year ? and now is the easiest time to do that too. Consider these tips:

? If you use a tax advisor, make an appointment to get together well before April 15. For the future, do it before the end of the tax year, and you may be able to save on your tax bill.

? Designate a specific, easily accessible place to keep all the information relevant to your tax return.

? Pay tax-deductible items by check or credit card whenever possible. If you have many tax-deductible items, get a separate credit card for those expenses.

Now, for this year:

Step 1: Collect all the records you can find: canceled checks, credit card receipts and statements, canceled checks, cash register receipts, calendars, and any articles or other information you may have collected with information about what you can deduct. (Use Post-it? Flags to highlight important information.) If you're not sure, discuss with your accounting the critical information to include with your tax return, including documents to support any wages or other income received as well as mortgage interest paid.

Step 2: Separate all the papers into appropriate categories. Put each one into a separate container ? large envelope, plastic basket or shoebox. Labeling each category with a Post-it? Note will make it easier to adjust your category names if you change your mind as you proceed. Since you will probably need more than one sitting to complete your taxes, these labeled containers make it easier to clear your work area, if necessary, and to find your place when you are ready to continue.

Step 3: Take one category at a time and eliminate (or staple together) any duplicate receipts. If you need to correlate your expenses with your calendar in order to prove tax-deductible expenses, such as in the case of entertainment, put all receipts in chronological order to speed up the process. (Use a different color Post-it? Flag for each deductible category.)

Step 4: Now you are ready to begin entering the information on the tax forms, into your computer program, or to take the information to your accountant. (Many accountants will provide a worksheet of compiling information.)

Once you've finished filing your return, the next consideration is how long to keep the material you've collected. The simple answer is to keep whatever you need to persuade the IRS that everything on your return is accurate, and hang on to the evidence for as long as the IRS has the right to question your return. But I'm sure you wanted a more practical answer!

Ordinarily that's three years from the due date for the return, including extensions, to assess any additional tax. But a return can be audited for six years if the IRS suspects the taxpayer has neglected to report substantial income. If fraud is suspected, there is no time limit.

Your record keeping system doesn't have to be elaborate or sophisticated. What is more important is to have a system ? and the discipline to keep it up to date.

Make sure to keep tax information separated by year. If you have a minimum amount of back-up material, one file folder may be sufficient. Staple together all information for each itemized deduction. Label it clearly with a Post-it? Note. Otherwise, use separate file folders or envelopes for each category. If you run a business and have a very large amount of material, use one storage box for each year. Make sure to label the outside of the box! Put all boxes together. As you put in this year's box, you can remove the box with information you no longer need to keep. Sorting your back-up materials will be easy to do right after you filed this year's return when the categories are fresh in your mind. If you are audited, it will be easy to provide documents to support your tax return.

In addition, consider these tax tips:

? If you write off the cost of a business car, keep the logbook in which you recorded your trips as well as evidence of the costs you incur.

? If you claim as a dependent someone who is not your child, keep a separate file for the evidence that shows you provide more than half of that person's support.

? Keep information that relates to the purchase of all homes at least six years after the sale of the last house. This includes your title, deed of purchase, and information about your home's purchase price, sales price, capital improvements and repairs.

? Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.productiveenvironment.com

one time home cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

Privacy risks are hiding in plain sight, as your personal data is likely being collected, tracked, and sold without your knowledge.

VenHub, a fully autonomous, AI-powered smart store just opened at the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles.

A woman's Facebook account takeover reveals dangerous social engineering tactics and provides lessons on recovery, avoiding scams and enacting stronger security measures.

Shanghai engineers are using 432 walking robots to relocate a complex, preserving Shikumen architecture while creating space for a modern underground hub and cultural center.

Major healthcare data analytics firm Episource had a cybersecurity incident exposing 5 million patients' medical records and personal information in recent breach.

A new sophisticated PayPal scam sends legitimate-looking emails from official PayPal addresses, using phone numbers instead of links to convince victims to download remote access tools.

Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.

The innovative Kara Pod device extracts moisture from air to create mineral-rich water and brew coffee, featuring UV sterilization and compatibility with Nespresso pods.

Gov. Hochul unveiled New York's nuclear power plant project to power a million homes, which faces permit challenges while promising jobs and a cleaner energy future.

SAFE introduces Aerie, an underground luxury bunker combining high-end living with advanced security, wellness amenities and interactive walls simulating panoramic views.

A Facebook scammer posing as Elon Musk tricked a victim with promises of a Tesla and $250,000, requesting gift cards that become untraceable once the codes are shared.

Experience hands-free golfing with the Robera Neo smart caddie that uses AI to follow you, navigate obstacles and carry your clubs with GPS course mapping.

Cybersecurity alert: 16 billion passwords exposed in massive credential database affecting major platforms. Protect your accounts with password managers

The innovative BeBot robot uses electric power to remove pollution from shorelines, covering 20-30 times more area than manual collection while preserving wildlife.

A new ClickFix campaign targets macOS users with fake Spectrum support sites, tricking victims with CAPTCHA failures to paste commands that install information-stealing malware.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Plus Automation are being tested across the U.S., Europe and Asia to solve logistics challenges while facing regulatory hurdles and labor concerns.

Your health information might feel private and secure with your doctor, but the reality is far more complicated. Data brokers collect a wide range of sensitive health data, from diagnoses and prescription details to personal identifiers, and sell this data to marketers, insurers, and other third parties.

Kepler Robotics has officially introduced its Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" humanoid robot at the SAIC-GM automotive plant in Shanghai, marking a significant moment in the real-world deployment of advanced robotics.

Scammers never seem to be running out of new ways to try and get their hands on your money – and lately, they've been getting sophisticated.

Thirty people were injured and killed, though the exact number remains currently unknown, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Damascus church.

Unexpected password reset alerts signal potential hacking attempts or phishing scams. Learn how to respond and establish stronger security measures for your accounts.

A historic electric airplane flight landed at JFK with passengers, marking a milestone as Beta Technologies demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of electric air travel.

The Chaos ransomware group breached Optima Tax Relief in a double-extortion attack, stealing sensitive customer case files and corporate documents with personal information.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The first human brain-computer interface by Paradromics was completed in 20 minutes, featuring microelectrodes to help paralyzed individuals control computers with thoughts.