| Avoiding Tax Time Stress | | | | me an A+ on the materials I send, so I'm motivated to |
| I'm not always this brilliant, but today, I'm using the | | | | be thorough! |
| stress reduction tools that I share! | | | | But this year promises to be much less stressful than |
| It's only January 26th and I just began my process of | | | | the last few years, when I had files spread out for |
| tax preparation for our family and my business! We | | | | weeks and didn't complete the job until sometime in |
| don't have quite all the reporting forms yet, but today I | | | | mid-March. That creates additional stress of wondering |
| went through last year's files and put everything I'll | | | | if the accountant will squeeze us in by the deadline or |
| need in one box. | | | | if we'll need to file for an extension. |
| Why Did I Start This Early? | | | | Create Your Own Low-Stress Time Table for |
| I know what my schedule is like for the next few | | | | TaxesWhether you do it all yourself or just gather the |
| months and I don't want to stress myself out even by | | | | information and send it to your tax accountant, I'm |
| waiting until late February or March. Even though I was | | | | hoping to inspire you to create your own low-stress |
| out of town facilitating trainings for most of last week, | | | | time table for taxes this year. |
| and I was looking forward to a quiet and restorative | | | | Do Something Different - Now |
| weekend, I decided to ease my way into tax time. | | | | In short, if you are tired of procrastinating and sweating |
| My Low-Stress, Um, Filing SystemYou need to | | | | blood over tax forms around April 12th every year, do |
| understand that my low-stress method of keeping | | | | something different -- now! |
| desk and table tops clutter-free is to stuff paperwork | | | | Your adrenalin and blood pressure will thank you! Your |
| into the most likely looking file folders and hide them | | | | sound sleep and sweet dreams will reward you. You |
| out of sight. My husband just makes one big pile, which | | | | can gloat while your friends are stressed out, agonizing |
| I've trained him to hide behind a cabinet door. I resist | | | | over where to find receipts and hurrying to calculate |
| real filing and only do it about three times a year. | | | | whether they pay the feds or vice versa. |
| So of course, in order to organize tax papers, I first | | | | Your Four-Step Action Plan for Low-Stress Tax |
| had to organize our filing from August until now! I | | | | Prep1. Get started now. Gather all tax papers into one |
| spread everything out on the dining room table and | | | | place. |
| chairs, discomfiting two of our cats who like to lounge | | | | 2. Schedule a time very soon to start your sorting and |
| on both. I worked in roughly 45 minute segments, taking | | | | calculating, or sending it off to your accountant. Block |
| breaks to chat with my husband and play with our | | | | off time in your calendar. |
| greyhounds, so it wasn't too tedious at all. | | | | 3. Do it. |
| I also set up two nifty file boxes that now live in a | | | | 4. If you're like me and need to be better organized |
| cabinet under the television, so we can more easily file | | | | with your filing, do that too, so you will have an easier |
| stuff properly in 2008. (I'll be motivated for a few | | | | time next year. Hire help if you need to and can afford |
| weeks! After that, we can only hope.) | | | | it. Or do what I did. Get a couple of file-sized boxes, |
| The Hard Part Is Finding Everything | | | | recycle some gently used folders with new labels and |
| I've just done the hard part -- finding everything. | | | | declare it done! |
| Another few hours -- next weekend -- and I'll have a | | | | Life is too short to spend stressing out over taxes. Get |
| package ready for our accountant. She's been giving | | | | on top of this project now for stress-relief all spring. |