Income Tax Records

Do you spend the first few days, weeks or even months of each new year frantically searching for your income tax records?

Do you put off filing your tax return until April because you just can't find all of the records you need?

It doesn't have to be that way.

Learn how to easily keep your tax records organized so you can file your return earlier, get your refund faster and make tax time less overwhelming.

The easiest way for keeping tax records organized is to separate them from the rest of your household documents.

Create a separate file folder labeled "Taxes." Keep this file folder with the rest of your household files, but be sure it is very easily accessible. If you can't get to it easily, you won't use it.

Throughout the year, whenever you pay a bill, receive a receipt, make a charitable donation or do anything that will be related to your tax return, place the documentation in your Taxes folder.

Come January, all you have to do is pull one folder and you can be sure that everything you need to file your taxes will be in it.

Filing Your Taxes Easily

If you want to take one more step to make your life a little easier come tax time, as well as save yourself a few dollars, I highly recommend using Intuit TurboTax 2008 Deluxe with Stateto file your tax returns.

I have been using Turbo Tax for years and I love it! It's super simple interview format eliminate all of the agonizing calculations. If you can answer a few simple questions about your lifestyle and finances, you can file your taxes with Turbo Tax.

Some additional benefits of Turbo Tax are:

• Prepare your taxes on your own schedule, no appointments necessary.

• Pace yourself. With Turbo Tax, you don't have to prepare your taxes all at once. Do a little, save the file, and come back when you are ready to do more.

• When you are ready, file your taxes online anytime, day or night.

• Receive your tax returns by direct deposit...I usually have my return before my friends can even get in to see their accountants!

• Save money! The cost of Turbo Tax is far less than what you would pay to have your taxes prepared - and the cost of the program is deductible.

As you can see I am a big fan of Turbo Tax, but whether you decide to use it or not, if you take the time to organize your income tax records you'll learn that tax time does not have to be so taxing!