Tip of the Month February – Getting Organized for Filing Your Taxes
I don’t know about you, but January flew by in a blur for me. I cannot believe we are already well into February.
For me February signals tax preparation time. I have multiple tax filings and others who rely on me to complete those filings before they can file theirs—so I need to prepare my tax filings early.
Fortunately, I keep my records organized through-out the year, requiring very little time on my part preparing the information for my CPA.
April 15 may seem far away, but it’s not too early to start thinking about organizing your taxes, especially if you know you’ll have to do some digging to unearth the necessary receipts and other paperwork.
A little advance planning can make doing your taxes a lot less stressful, and can help avoid any unpleasant surprises. Getting an early start also gives you time to research the latest tax rules and regulations to make sure you’re taking advantage of all the deductions.
To prepare your tax filings, or have your tax filings prepared, gather the information and documents related to your tax filing. Next, sort your documents and information in a 7 or 13 pocket accordion file (depending on the number of categories that apply to you) into the following categories:
- general information
- financial reports
- tax filing
- investment records
- bank statements
- credit card statements
- income documents
- charitable deductions
- medical expenses
- miscellaneous expenses
- child care expenses
- business expenses
After your tax filings have been prepared, file your copies under the “tax filing” tab. All of your documentation and tax filings will then be contained in the accordion file easy to store and retrieve.
Lastly, take some time to think about what you could do differently for next year. If you spent a lot of time tracking down your tax documents this year, use the 13 pocket accordion file system to collect your tax documents and information all year long and you will be better prepared for next year.
Teresa James
Certified Professional Organizer & Accredited Staging Professional
Phone Number: (901) 752-5522
Memphis, TN and Shelby County areas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrganizeAndStageYourHome
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/OASYH
Featured Product February – Expandable pocket accordion file
- Available at office supply stores.
- Fully expandable bottom and files stand freely on a desk.
- Durable poly resists tears and repels moisture.
- Available with 7 or 13 expandable pockets.
- Cover flap secured by elastic cord and button closure.
- Colored and white tab inserts included.
If the task seems too daunting, contact me to work with you—this is one of my specialties! I will get you organized for filing your taxes this year and in future years.
Teresa James, CPO, ASP
Phone Number: (901) 752-5522
Memphis, TN, Shelby County areas and outside these areas too.
Tip of the Month April - Time for Spring Cleaning
Spring is here and it’s a perfect time to think about spring cleaning and organizing. When a room is full of clutter, your life is full of clutter — full of wasted time, space, energy and money. Clutter is caused by deferred decisions. Most of it occurs because you haven’t taken the time to decide where things belong. When purging or moving items, ask yourself some questions:
- “When was the last time I used this?"
- "How accessible is it?"
- "Where do I use it?"
- "Does it fit into my lifestyle?"
- "Is it in good condition or does it need repair?”
Above all, keep your vision for a room as your primary motivation. Sort and select your belongings based on what you would buy all over again. Is it really needed, or isn’t it?
After sorting and purging, assign a place, or home, for all your things. To do this, keep the following in mind:
- convenience (nearest where used);
- like should go with like;
- have only one place for each category;
- use right-sized containers to reduce clutter.
Return items to their “homes” whenever they wander. Set aside 10 minutes at the end of the day to put everything away so when you return in the morning, your space will be ready. Continue to move things you use consistently toward the front, and lesser-used items toward the back. When items are no longer needed or wanted, drop them in a giveaway container and donate them to a favorite charity.
Need help with organizing, staging, downsizing or relocating? Call Teresa at (901) 752-5522 or email Teresa@OASYH.com
Teresa James
Certified Professional Organizer & Accredited Staging Professional
Phone Number: (901) 752-5522
Memphis, TN and Shelby County areas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrganizeAndStageYourHome
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/OASYH
Tip of the Month March - Time [Self] Management
Everyone has so many demands on their time that it seems we just
don’t have enough of this precious commodity to get everything in our busy
lives done-let alone have the extra time we want to truly enjoy our family and
friends.
How much time is disorganization costing you? To find out, start here:
•Keep an activity log for one week to find out where you are spending
your time.
•Write down your goals.
•Now look at your activity log. Are you spending your time on your goals? If
not, what do you need to change?
•Group activities for effective use of time.
•Pick one day (Sunday usually works best) to plan your week and stick to
it!
•Use one time management tool.
•Not getting your “to do’s” done? Schedule them!
Featured Product March – Planner
Pad Organizer
Many people struggle with managing their goals, tasks, and schedule with one tool. Each has its pros and cons. If a paper management tool is your preferred medium, I recommend the Planner Pad Organizer.
Here is how the Planner Pad Organizer is designed to manage your time:
Each Page Works like a Funnel:
1) The top section replaces long lists written on tablets. This is the "Project Warehouse" - a place where you can organize business and personal activities by category. The horizontal layout gives you maximum visibility. As you plan, it makes it easy to group like activities and see all that needs to be accomplished ... CATEGORIZE
2) The middle section is your daily activity plan. Select things that need attention from the top section. Assign specific days for action ... PRIORITIZE
3) The lower section is your "appointment book." Schedule people to see, meetings to attend, and personal activities. Schedule time for yourself to work on projects and to get things done ... SCHEDULE
With the Planner Pad Organizer system, you've funneled down all those tasks that were placing such a burden of stress on your life and broken them down into easily manageable tasks.
Another great feature of this product is you can order your Planner Pad Organizer to start the month you want to begin using it.
Set a goal right now to live a more organized life and see the positive changes unfold!! Create the life you deserve, it is possible!
I will give you the direction, guidance and support during our organizing session so you can spend more time on more important activities. I look forward to being of service to you.
Teresa James
Certified Professional Organizer & Accredited Staging Professional
Phone Number: (901) 752-5522
Memphis, TN and Shelby County areas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrganizeAndStageYourHome
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/OASYH
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