Organizing Taxes

Is this scene sound familiar? It is 6 June. You have not seen the top of your dining room table in two weeks as a result of the poles of the paid invoices, receipts, canceled checks, and unidentified cash register receipts covering it. Your head pounds and your stomach buses as the countdown to 15 april begins.

You might hate to pay taxes, think the system is unjust, find the forms, and even a mini-stage tax revolt, but at the end of the tax man comes - with a penalty if you are not careful enough! The key to survival is to take an organized approach to this unavoidable task.

There are really two issues. Number one is to obtain the information together for this year's tax return. Number two is to develop a strategy, which will eliminate the panic you're next year - and now is the easiest time to do so.

For Organizing Taxes Consider these tips:

1. If you have a tax advisor, make an appointment, together accounted for 15 april. For the future, please do so before the end of the fiscal year, and you can save on your tax bill.

2. Designation of a specific, easily accessible place to keep any information relevant to your tax return.

3. Pay tax-deductible items by check or credit card whenever possible. If you have a lot of tax deductible items, get a separate credit card for these expenditures.

Now, Organizing Taxes for this year look this Steps :

1. Gather all records can be found : canceled checks, credit card receipts and statements, canceled checks, cash register receipts, calendars and any articles or other information you may have collected information about what you can deduct. (Use Post-it? Flags to draw attention to important information.) If you are unsure, discuss with your accounts of the critical information to your tax return, including the supporting documents for any wages or other income received and paid interest on mortgages.

2. Separate all the papers in the correct categories. Put each in a separate container - large envelope, plastic basket or shoebox. Labeling each category, with a Post-it? Note will make it easier to adapt the category of your name when you change your mind as you proceed. Since you will probably need more than one meeting at your taxes, the label of these containers make it easier for your work area, if necessary, and to find your place when you're ready to go.

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

4. Now you're ready to start entering the data on the tax forms, in your computer, or to the information to your accountant. (Many accountants will provide a worksheet of collecting information.)

When you've finished filing your return, the next consideration is how long to see the material you've collected. The answer is simple to keep track of what you need for the IRS that everything on your return is accurate, and should depend on the evidence for the duration of the IRS has the right to question your back. But I'm sure you wanted a more practical answer!

Normal is that 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 system for keeping of a register need not be elaborated and refined. What is more important is a system - and the discipline to ensure that these up-to-date.

Make sure that information separately for each fiscal year. If you have a minimum amount of backup material, a folder may be sufficient. Staple together all the information specified for each deduction. Label it clearly with a Post-it? NB. If not, use separate file folders or envelopes for each category. If you are a business and have a very large amount of material, use a box for storing each year. Make sure to label the outside of the box! Put all the boxes together. As shown in the box this year, you can box with the information that you no longer need to keep. The sort of your back-up materials will be easy to do after you this year's return when the categories are fresh in your mind. If you are audited, it is easy for documents to support your tax return.

Moreover, this tax tips:
1. If you write off the cost of a business car, which keeps the log your journeys registered, and the evidence of the costs that you enter.

2. If you are entitled to someone who depends on your child keep a separate file for the evidence shows that more than half of that person.

3. Keep information that relates to the purchase of all homes at least six years after the sale of the last house. This also applies to the title, the deed of purchase, and information about your home's purchase price, sale 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: Forever Living without clutter. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and maintain 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