Yes, I’ve put it off a bit — and since I’ll be out of town next weekend, time to crack down and get it done.
My two pieces of advice:
- TurboTax — or some sort of prep software — has become essential, unless you have very, very, very simple tax stuff to do. (And if you have any sorts of complications, it’s probably worth going to a tax accountant or attorney to make sure you get it right). It’s sad that our tax code has gotten that complicated, but there it is.
- I keep a space in the downstairs cabinets where I throw in anything tax-related for the year. Receipts for contributions, check registers, everything. I sort it out at tax time. That seems to work great (and beats the hell out of having to dig all that stuff out of the overall bill basket).
- A check-writing / bill-paying service is darned handy for identifying other contributions.
- Reviewing last year’s taxes is also helpful to remind you of stuff that needs to be done this year.
I don’t claim any special virtue or abilities when it comes to tax accounting. But those things just make life easier, I find.
UPDATE: 8:30 p.m. and all’s well. Took a few hours off to go to dinner with the family along with Jackie and Kaylee, to White Fence Farms. Yum. And …
Between what we have to send to Uncle Sam and get back from Uncle Bill, we’re only about $200 in the red, which isn’t too bad, all things considered.
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