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Thanks to my mucho expensive car repair, I have gotten just the kick in the keister that I needed to pull together our tax info to take to our accountant. We normally get the taxes filed in February, so we're right on time. (Getting a large, life-saving refund each year helps to motivate me!) Of course this year I had to get all of my business information in there as well so that took some more time. Mainly because I'm not a very conscientious paper person.
Now, my friend Sooz keeps on top of her paperwork like a star executive secretary. Papers come in, she reads them all, attached them to any papers that go with it, makes phone calls when she has questions and makes notes on the appropriate piece of paper about the results of the call. Then she files it all away ever-so-nicely such that even years later if you were to ask her, "How much money did you spend in 2001 on music lessons or groceries or whatever?" she would be able to tell you within 5 minutes. Amazing!
Me? I get audited by the IRS and discover that I can't even find 3 of my kid's birth certificates, so just go ahead and order new ones. Uh huh. Awesome!
So, I've made it through this year's tax-info-gathering process, although I'll admit that I've made some estimations for the things that I couldn't actually document. I've still got files piled up all over my bedroom from last month's IRS audit paperchase. The thing I'm now wondering is, now that these two urgent paper needs are behind me, am I going to dedicate some time to filing, or just ignore it and hope for the best when next year rolls around?? Lay your bets down, people!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Tis the Season to File Taxes
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4 comments:
I tend to be more like Sooz, due to an inate organizational desire. However, I can procrastinate about getting organized like the best of them.
Buy a file cabinet, put a basket on top to put the "to be filed" things, keep your mail in those file folder standing things - things to pay this paycheck in the front, the next paycheck behind, and the third slot I use for stamps, extra car payment coupons, return address labels, those kinds of things.
Good luck!
Thanks Mimi!
I was hoping for some tips. I have actually taken the steps of buying file folders, and I even have a place to put the files! I have some stuff filed, but tend to accumulate very large "to file" piles. Probably if I spent 15 minutes a day filing I'd be done in a week. Instead I am thinking of working on it tonite while watching a movie. I do better when I do the whole thing at once (despite it being opposite of what flylady wants me to do).
I have a good bill system and file those when they come in. It's just all the other stuff that waits and waits. The one good thing about my "system" is that usually by the time I start thinking about filing and go through the stack, lots of it is now ready to be thrown away.... :)
I'm glad my words helped a bit.
I agree, I'm not a 15 minutes and walk away kind of person, I sit down to do the filing in one fell swoop, go through the checks from that month and do all my shredding in one sitting, or I'd never get back to it.
I also do it on the floor in front of the TV to alleviate boredom ;)
Oh, I forgot to say, I have a pendaflex file with the general category (say, utilties) and then I use a file folder for each bill - cable, garbage, power, cell, etc.
Good news! I did actually do a bunch of filing the other night after I wrote this. did it while watching a movie. That and laundry folding are my movie time chores now I guess. :)
So far I just have a "paid bills" folder and throw all the receipts and paperwork in there until I can finally toss them in the trash. Do you find it important to have the paid bills filed separately?
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