Our NYC Professional Organizer’s Best Tips for Tax Season

Each year our NYC Professional Organizer shares her unique techniques and paper filing tips to help you get better organized for tax time… And, this year has been no exception. It’s an important topic to cover as so many of us find ourselves overwhelmed as we prepare to do our taxes. Even if you have someone helping you file your taxes, it’s never as simple as you may expect it to be.

Since we’re focusing our efforts this month on preparing for tax time, we thought it would be smart to pull together some of the most valuable tax prep information and paper filing tips from recent posts, and from posts in years past… Saving you the leg work and, hopefully, getting you ready for a successful – and timely – filing!

–          Organize your office for simplicity this tax season…

• A properly organized office will provide the ideal backdrop for you to begin preparing for your filing. It will also set the stage for keeping your tax papers organized as the year progresses.

–          Create a simple checklist for all the items necessary for completing your taxes. You’ll feel great as you check each one off the list!

• This list should include: SSN, Tax ID Number, Brokerage Statements, Records of taxes paid throughout the year, Documentation of interest paid on your mortgage and/or student loans, Charitable donation receipts, Retirement account contribution statements, Childcare and education costs, Receipts for medical costs, and Deductible expense information

–          Ensure you’ve printed copies of all electronic receipts, and banking and credit card statements

–          Designate a space in your home or office for all items associated with filing your taxes; you’ll want somewhere you’ll be able to spread out all papers and receipts. Keep pens, pencils, a calculator and notepads within arm’s reach.  If you have any questions, you can quickly jot them down.

–          Get ahead on next year’s tax work by ensuring your filing system will work for this year’s documents and papers.

• Ensure you have a folder for every necessary category
• Label the folders so they’ll make sense to those who may be searching for information

Although some of this information may appear repetitive, it’s essential to become the most organized you can be – especially at tax time! We hope these techniques and paper filing tips help get you prepped and ready for the tax season. If you need one-on-one help to get you through tax time, please contact our NYC Professional Organizer today  and she’ll get you in good shape to properly complete your taxes.