The days until the April 15th tax filing deadline are flying off the calendar, so don’t delay getting yours done on time. Doing so has big benefits above getting a sooner return and less worry – it’s also the best way to avoid suffering tax-based identity theft or return fraud. Getting ahead takes some organization, but the Equifax Finance Blog experts have tips for getting your taxes done in the new article, “
Five Tips to Jumpstart Filing Your Taxes.”
The biggest hurdle to getting your taxes done early for most is overcoming the leaden weight of procrastination. You can counteract procrastination by taking an easy first step and setting your appointment (if you work with a tax professional) or purchasing and downloading your tax preparation software (if you do your own taxes). If you are doing your own, go ahead and start entering in some of the information, even if it is incomplete. Taking these first steps will invest you in the project and make you more motivated to finish.
Once you have taken the first steps, it’s time to get organized. The best way to turn this momentous task into an easy one is to dedicate time to it each day. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes each day and make it an ongoing project that you can see results in; which will also help motivate you to finish. Even better would be to form a system while you are organizing so that you can keep up with your materials year-round and avoid the disorganization headache and hassle in future years.
There are more tips about how to get ahead on taxes, retirement and build strong
identity theft solutions on the Equifax Finance Blog.